Table 1

Information on sampling frame, sampling method, sample size and procedures for follow up for each of the participating centres

Country	Site	Principal investigator	Sample frame	Sample method	Sample size	Follow up design
Finland	Kuopio	J T Salonen	General population	Age stratified random sample of men, aged 42, 48, 54 and 60 years	2682	National mortality registry
						Stroke registry
	Helsinki	J Tuomilehto	General population	Random sample	around 15000	National mortality registry
						Stroke registry
Greece	Athens	A Trichopoulou	General population	Men and women volunteers, 30–75 years	28577	National mortality registry
						Active follow up
Italy	Firenze	D Inzitari	General population	Age stratified random sample men and women, aged 65–84 years	4373	Hospital-based stroke registry
						Follow up by questionnaire, telephone and re-examination
Netherlands	Rotterdam	D E Grobbee	General population	Random sample of men and women, aged 55 years or over	7983	National mortality registry
		P J Koudstaal				General Practitioner Stroke Registry
Portugal	Coimbra	A Freire Concalves	General population	Random sample of men and women, aged 55 years or over	3020	General Practitioner based stroke registry
Russia	Novosibirsk	Y Nikitin	General population	Random sample of men and women, aged 25 to 64 years	9006	Stroke Registry (MONICA procedures)
United Kingdom	Cardiff	P C Elwood	General population	Random sample of men, aged 45–59 years	2512	National mortality registry
						Hospital records
						Follow up by questionnaire