by Joy Y. Kiddie, MSc, RD

A study published in May 2010 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, entitled Comparison of Cardiovascular Risk Profiles Among Ethnic Groups based on population health surveys between 1996 and 2007 reports that the four major ethnic groups had striking differences in cardiovascular risk profiles.

Researchers compared data in Ontario from 154,653 whites, 3,038 Chinese, 3,364 South Asians and 2,742 blacks who participated in Statistics Canada’s cross-sectional national population health survey between 1996 and 2007.

The study conducted by the Toronto-based Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences reported that Chinese had the most favorable cardiovascular risk factor profile with 4.3% of the population reporting two or more major cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, obesity and hypertension, followed by the South Asian (7.9%), Caucasian (10.1%) and black (11.1%) respondents.

The study also found that smoking, obesity and psychosocial stress were significantly more common in Caucasians, while diabetes and hypertension were much more prevalent among blacks and South Asians.

This is the first health study that compared the distribution of cardiovascular risk factors and associated heart disease and stroke prevalence across the world’s four major racial-ethnic groups who live in the same geographic area with a similar living environment and access to health care. The results are considered statistically significant.

Since risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, obesity and hypertension are attributed to 90% of cardiovascular diseases, awareness of these ethnic differences may help health practitioners develop lifestyle adjustments and early intervention strategies for specific ethnic groups. The researchers proposed ethnically-tailored intervention strategies, such as;

• diabetes and hypertension lifestyle intervention targeted to high-risk South Asian and black populations
• obesity-prevention programs for black women and Caucasians men and women
• promoting physical activity among South Asian and Chinese populations