A multivariate analysis of circulatory data and their relationship to later disease

• Published in: Journal of chronic diseases Vol. 36; no. 12; pp. 869 - 877
• Main Authors: Shaffer, John Whitcomb, Duszynski, Karen Rose, Thomas, Caroline Bedell
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 1983
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Blood Pressure; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Heart Rate; Hemodynamics; Humans; Hypertension - epidemiology; Male; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Morbidity; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Prospective Studies; Risk; Suicide - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0021-9681
• DOI: 10.1016/0021-9681(83)90008-5

Measurements on 21 separate variables involving blood pressure and heart rate were obtained under casual, resting, and controlled conditions as part of the baseline evaluation of 1087 white males participating in a prospective investigation of possible precursors of premature disease and death. These measurements were subjected to a components-type factor analysis with orthogonal rotation of component vectors in an effort to construct statistically independent composites of greater predictive power and generality as well as to minimize problems in interpretation introduced by partially redundant variables. Multivariate and univariate techniques were afterwards used to test differences between groups of subjects who developed specific major disorders and those who remained in good health. Comparison of factor scores with original circulatory measures in a series of prospective analyses revealed that the former had the greater predictive power. Although only the hypertension group could be unequivocally differentiated from all others, a number of nominally-significant findings may provide leads for further research.