The North Karelia Project was worldwide the first public health project for the prevention of cardiovascular disease mortality. It was first conducted from 1972 to 1977 in North Karelia and due to the success from 1977 to 1997 in all of Finland. It addressed the three risk factors (smoking, serum cholesterol and blood pressure) identified by the British Doctors Study, the Framingham Heart Study, and the Seven Countries Study.
Between 1972 and 2012 cardiovascular disease mortality for working age men declined by 82% and for working age women declined 84%. The life expectancy of the entire population increased by 7 years. Two-thirds of the mortality decline is attributable to the impact of the North Karelia Project.