Differences in biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease between three ethnic groups in the Whitehall II study

This study compares risk factors for cardiovascular disease in civil servan ts of three ethnic groups screened as part of the Whitehall II cohort study . Previously identified risk factors for cardiovascular disease in 360 Afro -Caribbean and 577 South Asian subjects are compared with the 8973 white Ca ucasian subjects. Controlling for socio-economic status is more precise tha n in most previous studies of cardiovascular differences between ethnic gro ups. After controlling for socio-economic confounding factors, age and sex, South Asian subjects were found to have increased prevalence of hypertensi on (defined as either having systolic pressure of > 160, diastolic pressure of > 95 or being on antihypertensisves) OR 2.3 (95% CI 1.6-3.3), diabetes OR 4.2 (95% CI 3.0-5.8) and a high risk lipid profile, although total chole sterol was lower than in the white population. Afro-Caribbean subjects had more hypertension OR 4.0 (95% CI 2.8-5.7) and diabetes OR 2.8 (95% CI 1.7-4 .6), but this was accompanied by a favourable lipid profile with low choles terol and high HDL. Afro-Caribbean alcohol and smoking habits were low-risk . Socio-economic status was found to be an important confounding factor for ethnic differences in biochemical risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, adjusting for socioeconomic class only attenuates observed differ ences; it does not abolish them. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.