Four hundred and seventy-eight men born in 1914 and residing in the city of Malmö, Sweden, underwent ultrasonic Doppler examination of the carotid arteries in 1982/83. The known risk factors for vascular disease--blood pressure, lipids, glucose, hematocrit, alcohol consumption and Body Mass Index were also measured. A moderate stenosis (diameter reduction 30-59%) of the internal carotid artery was found in 95 men (20%); 15 men (3%) had a greater than or equal to 60% stenosis of the internal carotid artery, while 7 (1.5%) had complete unilateral occlusion. Smoking was found to be significantly related to severe carotid artery disease. There was also a significant correlation between maximum flow velocity in the internal carotid artery and triglycerides. Those quitting smoking before the age of 50 had the same incidence of internal carotid artery disease as non-smokers, while those quitting later in life had a slightly higher incidence than life-long smokers.