Smoking and lipid cardiovascular risk factors in Vietnamese refugees in Australia

Background, The effects of smoking and sex on lipid risk factors for cardio vascular disease were examined among Vietnamese people newly arrived in Aus tralia. Methods, Immigrants recruited through Refugee Screening had anthropometric data recorded and blood collected to measure total cholesterol (TC), high-d ensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglyceride (TG) by Reflotron; a polipoprotein A-1 (apo A-1) and apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B) by immunoturbi dimetric analyses (Turbitimer); and lipoprotein (a) (LP (a)) by ELISA. A qu estionnaire determined behavioral variables known to influence cardiovascul ar risk and Statview, Minitab, and SPSS were employed for data analysis. Results. Lipoprotein profiles of men (n = 242) and women (n = 159) were com pared. Crude TC and apo B were similar; HDL, apo A-1, and LP (a) were highe r in women, TG was higher in men. After adjustment (age, BMI, WHR, years of smoking, and drinks per week), only apo A-1 and LP (a), were higher in wom en, "At risk" levels of TC or apo B did not differ by gender; risk of low a po A-1 was higher among men. Smokers had a significant risk (crude and adju sted) of low HDL, low apo A-1, and high LP (a). The sex difference in HDL w as removed by a single adjustment for smoking; male smokers had higher LP ( a) than male nonsmokers. Conclusion. Male and female Vietnamese immigrants had similar adjusted lipi d profiles. Smoking had a marked detrimental effect on lipids. (C) 1999 Ame rican Health Foundation and Academic Press.