PLASMA FATTY-ACID LEVELS IN SOUTH-AFRICAN INTERETHNIC MALE HIGH-SCHOOL PUPILS AT DIFFERENT ULTIMATE RISKS OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE

While coronary heart disease (CHD) is responsible for about a quarter of deaths in South African white, coloured and Indian populations, the rate is very low in the black population. Dietary risk factors for CH D include high intakes of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, with low intakes of mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In a characteriza tion study, plasma fatty acid profiles have been determined in seven g roups of high school pupils aged 16-18 years, namely, white, rural bla ck, urban black and middle-class and lower socio-economic class colour eds and Indians. Plasma fatty acids were measured by gas liquid chroma tography in 20 subjects from each group. Contrary to expectation, urba n and rural black pupils had the highest mean molar percentage composi tion of saturated fatty acids, largely myristic (14:0) and palmitic (1 6:0) acids. Rural blacks and middle-class coloureds had the highest mo lar percentage composition of monounsaturated fatty acids, primarily o leic acid (18:1). Again unexpectedly, white, coloured and Indian group s had the highest level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, due entirely t o linoleic acid (18:2). As the findings are unrelated to proneness to CHD mortality in the particular communities studied, plasma fatty acid levels an not predictive of the disease. Epidemiologically, there are many examples of lack of correlation in serum lipid levels and pronen ess to CHD. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.