CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND WHITE PHYSICIANS - THEMEHARRY COHORT AND MEHARRY-HOPKINS COHORT STUDIES

Differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) were studied in a cohort o f medical students from the classes of 1958-65 of Meharry Medical Coll ege (n = 435), all African Americans, and the classes of 1957-64 of Jo hns Hopkins University (n = 580), all white. At baseline, African Amer icans were older (27 vs. 24 years, p = 0.001), more likely to smoke (7 1 vs. 47 percent), had greater body mass index (24 vs. 23 kg/m), and h ad higher systolic blood pressure (120 vs. 116 mmHg). At follow-up (23 -35 years later), African American physicians had higher CVD risk (RR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.3-2.41), higher incidence of coronary artery diseas e 1.4 times), and much higher case fatality (51.5 vs. 9.4 percent), Ri sk factor levels in youth can predict CVD events several years later; predictors may differ between racial groups. Best predictors were ciga rette smoking, cholesterol, and paternal history in white physicians, and blood pressure in African American physicians.