Annals of clinical research
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The severity of coronary atherosclerosis at autopsy was studied in two series comprising 169 cases of coronary death and 231 people who died of violent causes. In the former the fatal attack lasted less than 24 hours from the onset of symptoms in 70% of cases. In only three men did the terminal attack last more than 24 hours, while in the remaining 28% of cases, although death was not witnessed these were also likely to have been sudden deaths. ⋯ Raised lesions in coronary patients were calcified to about the same extent as those in persons ten years older in the series of violent deaths. Coronary atherosclerosis was most severe in coronary patients who had had symptomatic heart disease and had an old myocardial infarct and least severe in those in whome sudden death was the first manifestation of coronary heart disease from violent deaths as regards the extent of the raised lesions or prevalence of occlusion. The degree of coronary stenosis in coronary patients was closely related to the total extent of advanced coronary atherosclerosis.