Prevalence of coronary artery disease and its relationship to lipids in a selected population in south India - The Chennai Urban Population Study (CUPS no. 5)

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk fact ors for coronary artery disease (CAD) in a native urban South Indian popula tion. BACKGROUND High prevalence rates of premature CAD have been reported in mig rant Asian Indians. There are very few studies on CAD in native Indians liv ing in the Indian subcontinent. METHODS The Chennai Urban Population Study (CUPS) is an epidemiological stu dy involving two residential areas in Chennai in South India. Of the total of 1,399 eligible subjects (age greater than or equal to 20 years), 1,262 ( 90.2%) participated in the study. All the study subjects underwent a glucos e tolerance test and were categorized as having normal glucose tolerance (N GT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or diabetes. Twelve-lead electrocardi ogram (ECG) was performed in 1,175 individuals (84%). Coronary artery disea se was diagnosed based on previous medical history or Minnesota coding of E CGs. RESULTS The overall prevalence rate of CAD is 11.0% (age standardized, 9.0% ). The prevalence rates of CAD were 9.1%, 14.9% and 21.4% in those with NGT , IGT and diabetes, respectively. Prevalence of CAD increased with an incre ase in total cholesterol (trend chi-square: 26.2, p < 0.001), low-density l ipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (trend chi-square: 24.5, p < 0.001), triglycer ides (trend chi-square: 9.96, p = 0.002) and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio (trend chi-square: 6.14, p = 0.0132). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.05, p < 0.001) and L DL cholesterol (OR: 1.009, p = 0.051) as the risk factors for CAD. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of CAD is rising rapidly in urban India. Lifesty le changes and aggressive control of risk factors are urgently needed to re verse this trend. (C) 2001 by the American College of Cardiology.