English summary: Cholesterol levels in the Finnish population have increased after decades of decline

Cardiovascular risk factors in Finland have been studied in population- based surveys at five-year intervals since 1972. The first surveys in 1972 and 1977 were carried out in connection with the North Karelia project. From 1982 to 1992 the surveys were part of the WHO MONICA Project. Since 1992 the surveys have been called the National FINRISK Study. Surveys have been carried out in five regions in Finland. A random sample of the 25-64 -year-old population was examined, samples were stratified by age and sex in 10-year age groups. In this article, we report the changes from 1982 to 2012. Serum cholesterol levels declined in Finland from 1982 to 2007 but increased between 2007 and 2012 by 1.7% in men and 3.1% in women. It is likely that in the next few years a negative effect on coronary heart disease incidence and mortality will be seen. The mean cholesterol level in 2012 was 5.35 mmol/l in men and 5.31 mmol/l in women.