Twenty years after recruitment, 752 (79.5%) patientswere dead, 103 (10.9%) were still alive, and 91 (9.6%) were lost-to-follow up.In a Cox regression analysis including smoking habit, sex, type-2 diabetes,hypercholesterolemia and arterial hypertension, EPO genotypes were notassociated with overall survival (Hazard ratio 0.63; 95% confidence interval0.88–1.08, p = 0.63). The gene discussed is EPO; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.