AUTRES PAYS, AUTRES COEURS - DIETARY PATTERNS, RISK-FACTORS AND ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE IN BELFAST AND TOULOUSE

The WHO MONICA project monitors trends and determinants in cardiovascu lar disease to relate classical risk factor changes to trends in incid ence rates. The Belfast and Toulouse MONICA centres have also collabor ated in dietary studies. Both centres have validated incidence and att ack rates for ischaemic heart disease using coronary event registratio n. These data confirm that the disease in middle-aged men is between t hree and four times as common in Belfast as in Toulouse. Risk factor s urveys show some differences between the centres, but the overall risk s assessed by two multiple logistic function scoring systems were iden tical. A weighed dietary survey revealed no important difference in ma cronutrient intake, although carbohydrate and saturated fat intake in Belfast was significantly higher. Protein, dietary cholesterol and pol yunsaturated fat, particularly linoleic acid intake, was significantly higher in Toulouse, as was consumption of wine, cheese, fruit and veg etables, but not potatoes. The Northern Irish diet is typically Northe rn European, but although the diet in Toulouse has some features of th e Mediterranean diet, it is not appreciably different from that in Bel fast in terms of total fat intake. Major differences are present for s everal food items, and in general these differences add support to the antioxidant hypothesis.