Evidence from a Canadian prospective study indicated that individuals in the highest quartile of occupational stress are at increased risk of experiencing an episode of major depression.

This association was also significant for women aged 50 and over, but there was no trend with increasing pack-years smoked below the highest quartile (Table 2).

This compared to a risk of 60 percent for individuals whose viral load was more than 34,500, in the highest quartile.

This compared to 28 of 43, or 65 percent, of those in the highest quartile.

The men in the highest quartile were also 10.1 times as likely to need angioplasty or bypass surgery.

Only 5 per cent of the lowest quartile had any income from paid employment compared with 45 per cent of the highest quartile.

In the highest quartile, the mean age was 72 and 30 per cent were men.

The authors report lowered risk of breast cancer among over 58,000 postmenopausal women who had the third highest quartile of lignan intake.

The age adjusted rate ratios for breast cancer from the lowest to the highest quartile of BMD were 1.0, 1.3, 1.3 and 1.5 respectively.

Per capita carbon dioxide emissions are in the highest quartile of global emissions.