Diet and dietary markers in Kiruna and Uppsala, Sweden--a comparison

Because of a very high mortality in ischaemic heart disease in Kiruna, Sweden, a case-control study was undertaken to study risk factors (e.g. life style, hypertension, psycho-social factors, and diet and serum lipids). As part of this study the dietary habit, lipoproteins and composition of fatty acids in cholesterol esters in serum and adipose tissue triglycerides were studied in Kiruna and in an age-matched reference cohort in Uppsala. There were small, non-significant differences in these variables between cases and controls in Kiruna and between the Kiruna cohort and a reference cohort in Uppsala. Main differences in the inter-city comparison were low levels of gamma tocopherol in serum, high levels of palmitic acid (16:0) and low levels of linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) in serum cholesterol esters and adipose tissue triglycerides in Kiruna which suggest dietary differences and different anti-oxidative status in the two populations.