Does immigration contribute to decreasing CHD incidence? Coronary risk factors among immigrants in Goteborg, Sweden

Objectives. To investigate if an increasing proportion of immigrants may ha ve contributed to the decreasing trend in coronary heart disease (CHD) in S weden during the last few decades and to analyse the cardiovascular risk fa ctor pattern in immigrants compared to Swedish-born subjects. Population and methods. CVD risk factors were investigated within the frame work of the WHO MONICA project. A random sample of 1618 men and women aged 25-64 years responded to the invitation to a screening procedure including questionnaires and physical and laboratory examination. Data on myocardial infarctions (MI) were collected from the Goteborg Myocardial Infarction Reg ister. Data from the City Council secretariat were used to estimate the num ber of immigrants in the total population. Results. In 1995, immigrants constituted 22.4% of the population between 25 and 64 years of age in Goteborg. The incidence of MI in immigrants, 21.7%, was similar to that in Swedish-born subjects. Non-Finnish immigrants repor ted more unemployment, low physical activity during leisure time and psycho logical stress than Swedish subjects. Immigrant men also smoked more. BMI a nd WHR were significantly higher in immigrant women and Finnish immigrants had higher blood pressure than Swedes. Total- and LDL-cholesterol were high er in Finnish men. HDL-cholesterol was significantly lower and s-triglyceri des significantly higher in non-Finnish immigrants of both genders. Conclusion. The decreasing trend in CHD in Sweden during the last few decad es is not due to an increasing number of immigrants from 'low-risk countrie s'. On the contrary, the immigrants in the present study seem to have a wor se CVD risk factor profile than Swedes.