A comparative study of risk factors for acute myocardial infarction amongst men of Indo-origin in Trinidad and the UK

Abstract

A high cardiovascular mortality rate exists amongst people of Indo-origin in Trinidad (third generation migrants) and the United Kingdom (first generation migrants). To investigate the differences in cardiovascular risk factors in these two populations, we surveyed all male patients of Indo-origin with acute myocardial infarction, admitted over a similar 8-week period to the Coronary Care Units of a district general hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom and a similar hospital in San Fernando, Trinidad. Nineteen patients (mean age 62.2 years ± S.D. 2.58) were admitted to the Birmingham hospital (UK Group) and fifty-five (mean age 58.1 years ± S.D. 1.44) to the San Fernando hospital (Trinidad Group). There was no age difference between the groups ( P = 0.18). There was a significantly greater proportion of smokers in the Trinidad group (70.9% vs. 63.2%, χ 2 = 4.56, P = 0.03), which also had a higher proportion of diabetics (36.4% vs. 31.6%) and hypertensives (34.5% vs. 31.6%). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in hypertensives from the Trinidad group (Trinidad group 146.6 mmHg ± 16.9 93.4 mmHg ± 11.4 vs. UK group 120.8 mmHg ± 25.4 75.0 mmHg ± 13.4 ; P < 0.05 ). The mean waist to hip ratio was greater in the Trinidad group (1.01 ± S.D. 0.06) when compared to the UK group (0.95 ± S.D. 0.05) (paired t-test, P < 0.01). Only six Trinidadian males performed regular exercise and only four of the UK group did so. This study demonstrates international differences in risk factors amongst men of Indo-origin admitted with acute myocardial infarction. In Trinidad, these men had a greater prevalence of central obesity, smoking and high blood pressures when compared to a similar group in Birmingham, UK.