A case-control study was undertaken to examine differences in the extent of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training among family members of patients with and without coronary heart disease. There were no significant differences in the proportion of family members of patients with coronary disease (22.0%) who had ever taken a CPR course compared to family members of patients seen in a primary care clinic (25.6%) or in randomly selected neighborhood controls (28.7%). Family members of patients with coronary disease, however, had not only taken fewer CPR courses but had taken these courses considerably further in the past than had respective comparison groups. Moreover only 9% of these family members had taken CPR due to their family member's coronary disease.