Outcomes
Deaths, deaths, death, Death
CVD, PATHOLOGY
Deaths from any cause were assessed in the parent study, which was identified and confirmed by follow‐up interviews. When a participant could not be reached for a scheduled follow‐up, all known contacts of the participant were called to determine the participant's survival status. All deaths including CVD death were investigated by reviewing local hospital records, including ECGs, heart catheterizations, cardiac surgery, echocardiography, nuclear medicine scans, radiographs, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, cerebral angiograms, lumbar punctures, pathology reports, death certificates, autopsy reports, and laboratory tests. In addition, the participant's physician and the family members or other proxies who were with the participant at the time of death were interviewed to obtain detailed information about the circumstances of their death. Community obituaries were also monitored and linked to the Social Security Administration Death Master File.