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

To investigate if an increasing proportion of immigrants may have contributed to the decreasing trend in coronary heart disease (CHD) in Sweden during the last few decades and to analyse the cardiovascular risk factor pattern in immigrants compared to Swedish-born subjects.

CVD risk factors were investigated within the framework 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 Göteborg Myocardial Infarction Register. Data from the City Council secretariat were used to estimate the number of immigrants in the total population.

In 1995, immigrants constituted 22.4% of the population between 25 and 64 years of age in Göteborg. The incidence of MI in immigrants, 21.7%, was similar to that in Swedish-born subjects. Non-Finnish immigrants reported more unemployment, low physical activity during leisure time and psychological stress than Swedish subjects. Immigrant men also smoked more. BMI and WHR were significantly higher in immigrant women and Finnish immigrants had higher blood pressure than Swedes. Total- and LDL-cholesterol were higher in Finnish men. HDL-cholesterol was significantly lower and s-triglycerides significantly higher in non-Finnish immigrants of both genders.

The decreasing trend in CHD in Sweden during the last few decades is not due to an increasing number of immigrants from 'low-risk countries'. On the contrary, the immigrants in the present study seem to have a worse CVD risk factor profile than Swedes.