Table 1. Clinical characteristics of the study samples.

	Population cohorts				Autopsy studies
	FINRISK 1992	FINRISK 1997	FINRISK 2002	Health 2000	HSDS	TASTY
N with DNA available	5345	7672	8212	6400	297	397
Source population	Finland (4 regions*)	Finland (5 regions†)	Finland (6 regions‡)	Finland (the whole population aged ≥30 years)	Finland (region of Helsinki)	Finland (region of Tampere)
Age at baseline, mean ± SD	44.3±11.3	48.4±13.4	48.0±13.1	53.0±13.0	52.2±9.5	60.5±13.0
Sex, male, %	46.3	49.7	46.6	45.9	100	68.5
N of SCD	129	178	75	112	117	105

HSDS  =  The Helsinki Sudden Death Study, SCD  =  sudden cardiac death, SD  =  standard deviation, TASTY  =  The Tampere Autopsy Study.

^*Helsinki/Vantaa, Turku/Loimaa, North Karelia, and North Savo.

^†Helsinki/Vantaa, Turku/Loimaa, North Karelia, North Savo, and Oulu province.

^‡Helsinki/Vantaa, Turku/Loimaa, North Karelia, North Savo, Oulu province, and Lapland.