International symposium on coronary arteries in infants and children

Abstract

AbstractThe symposium took place in Tel Aviv on October 17‐20th, 1982. Over 100 investigators and clinicians from Europe, the United States, Japan, and Israel participated. The first day was devoted to risk factors for atherosclerosis in childhood. New evidence, supporting the predominance of the genetic factor in determining the risk for coronary atherosclerosis was reviewed. It included a high incidence of preatherosclerotic changes in children of population groups with a high incidence of coronary artery disease (Eastern Finland, Caucasians in the United States, Ashkenazi Jews in Israel), compared with low incidence of preatherosclerotic changes in the coronary arteries of children of population groups with low incidence of coronary artery disease (Western Finland, Blacks in the United States, Yemenite Jews, and Bedouins in Israel). The risk factors that can be influenced, including hypertension, hyperlipemia, and smoking at a young age, were reviewed. In the discussion it was emphasized that the long‐term results of changing the lifestyle of whole population groups are not yet well recognized. Several studies of mass intervention aimed at primary prevention are now being performed.