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Coronary heart disease risk factors and cigarette smoking among rural African Americans
J P Willems1, D E Hunt, J B Schorling
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
Insights
Cigarette smoking negatively impacts cardiac health in rural African Americans, worsening cholesterol and blood pressure. Obesity is also a significant risk factor in this population, requiring targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cigarette smoking is linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
- Limited research exists on smoking's impact on cardiac risk factors in rural African Americans.
- Obesity is prevalent and associated with poor health in this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cigarette smoking and cardiac risk factors.
- To examine these associations specifically within a rural African American population.
- To identify potential targets for public health interventions.
Main Methods:
- Population-based sample of 403 rural African American adults.
- Cross-sectional study design with multivariate analyses.
- Measurements included total cholesterol, HDL, blood pressure, BMI, glucose, and HbA1c.
Main Results:
- Female smokers showed lower blood pressure and HDL; heavy smokers had higher TC/HDL ratios.
- Male heavy smokers exhibited higher systolic blood pressure.
- Obesity (high BMI) was significantly associated with worsening cardiac risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Both smoking and obesity are detrimental to cardiovascular health in rural African Americans.
- Novel strategies are needed to address smoking and obesity in this underserved population.
- Public health efforts should focus on reducing these modifiable risk factors.
Abstract:
Cigarette smoking has been reported to worsen high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and other cardiac risk factors, yet no studies have examined this issue among rural African Americans. This study examines the association between cigarette smoking and cardiac risk factors among rural African Americans. A population-based sample of 403 African-American adults from two rural Virginia counties underwent total cholesterol (TC), HDL, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), body mass index (BMI), serum glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin (GlyHb) measurements. Cross-sectional multivariate analyses were used to compare risk factors across categories of cigarette use. Age, BMI, alcohol consumption, and the use of antihypertensive medications were covariates in the analysis. Results indicated that female light smokers had significantly lower SBP and DBP, and lower HDL. Female heavy smokers had significantly lower HDL and BMI and significantly higher TC/HDL ratios. Male heavy smokers had significantly higher SBP. More than 33% of males and more than 50% of females were overweight, and increasing BMI was associated with significantly or nearly significantly worsening of all other risk factor levels. Both cigarette smoking and obesity adversely affect other cardiac risk factors. Novel approaches are needed to decrease both smoking and obesity in this difficult to reach population.