Participants were re-examined approximately every other year after the baseline examination.13 (link) In addition to the study examinations, a telephone interviewer contacted each participant every 9–12 months to inquire about all interim hospital admissions, cardiovascular outpatient diagnoses and deaths. To verify self-reported diagnoses, copies were requested of all death certificates and medical records for all hospitalisations and outpatient cardiovascular diagnoses. Next-of-kin interviews for out-of-hospital cardiovascular deaths were obtained. We were successful in getting medical records on an estimated 98% of hospitalised cardiovascular events and information on 95% of outpatient cardiovascular diagnostic encounters. Follow-up telephone interviews were completed by 92% of living participants.12 (link) Trained personnel abstracted any hospital records suggesting possible cardiovascular events and transmitted these to the coordinating centre. These were then sent to two paired physicians (cardiologists or cardiovascular physician epidemiologists) for independent end point classification and assignment of incidence dates. Persisting disagreements were classified by the full review committee. The end point for this study was a composite of probable and definite HF. Definite or probable HF required HF symptoms, such as shortness of breath or oedema. In addition to symptoms, classification of probable HF required diagnosis of HF by a physician and a receipt for medical treatment for HF. Definite HF also required one or more objective criteria, such as pulmonary oedema/congestion by chest X-ray; dilated ventricle or poor LV function by echocardiography or ventriculography; or evidence of LV diastolic dysfunction.14 (link) For this analysis, we used incident definite or probable HF as a single entity without subdividing it into systolic or diastolic predominance.