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The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends of indicators of cardiovascular risk (smoking, physical activity, cholesterol, triglycerides...) in adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age. The data was recensed at the Centre of Preventive Medicine of Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy which was responsible for periodic Social Security health check-ups in 6,974 adolescents in 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1991. The analysis of the trends of the indicators of cardiovascular risk took into consideration the socio-economic changes of the population recruited during this period and the long-term analytical variations of biochemical parameters. Globally, between 1980 and 1991, there was a decrease in the percentage of smokers (21.8% to 13.5%) which was more marked in boys than in girls, an increase in physical activities (46.9% to 57.5%), a linear reduction in serum cholesterol (4.65 mmol/l to 4.33 mmol/l in boys, and 4.94 mmol/l to 4.72 mmol/l in girls), and no significant changes in serum triglycerides. These results confirm those reported by others and are encouraging for cardiovascular disease prevention and should be confirmed in adults groups.