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Prevalence of coronary risk factors in elderly blacks and whites
1Hebrew Hospital for Chronic Sick, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10475.
Insights
Elderly Black individuals exhibit higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity compared to whites. These conditions are linked to increased left ventricular hypertrophy in Black elders with hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronary heart disease risk factors in the elderly are crucial for public health.
- Understanding racial disparities in cardiovascular risk factors among older adults is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the prevalence of coronary risk factors in elderly Black and White populations.
- To examine the relationship between hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy across racial groups in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 1,414 elderly individuals (mean age 82 years).
- Data collected on demographics, cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, cholesterol, lipids, hypertension, diabetes, obesity), and left ventricular hypertrophy (electrocardiographic and echocardiographic).
- Statistical analysis to compare prevalence rates and associations between Black and White participants.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in smoking, hypercholesterolemia, or cholesterol/HDL ratio between elderly Black and White individuals.
- Elderly Blacks showed higher prevalence of hypertension (50% vs 36%), diabetes (27% vs 19%), and obesity (11% vs 5%).
- In hypertensive elderly individuals, Black participants had higher rates of echocardiographic (72% vs 56%) and concentric (60% vs 39%) left ventricular hypertrophy compared to Whites.
Conclusions:
- Racial disparities exist in hypertension, diabetes, and obesity prevalence among the elderly.
- Hypertension in elderly Black individuals is associated with a significantly higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy.
Abstract:
Coronary risk factors were determined in a prospective study of 1,414 elderly persons (999 women and 415 men), mean age 82 +/- 8 years. Of 1,414 persons, 215 (15%) were black and 1,140 (81%) were white. The prevalences of cigarette smoking, hypercholesterolemia, low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased serum total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio were not significantly different in elderly blacks and whites. Elderly blacks had a higher prevalence of hypertension (50% versus 36%, P less than 0.001), diabetes mellitus (27% versus 19%, P less than 0.01), and obesity (11% versus 5%, P less than 0.005) and a lower prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (9% versus 15%, P less than 0.05) than elderly whites. In elderly persons with hypertension, electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy occurred in 19% of blacks and 14% of whites (P not significant), echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy occurred in 72% of blacks and 56% of whites (P less than 0.01), and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy occurred in 60% of blacks and 39% of whites (P less than 0.001).