Serum lipoproteins and susceptibility of men of Indian descent to coronary heart disease. The St James survey, Trinidad

Prevalence of coronory heart disease (CHD) and fasting serum lipoprotein concentration in ethnic groups of Port of Spain, Trinidad, were compared. In a total community survey of 1416 men aged 35-69 years, angina pectoris, a history of possible myocardial infarction, and major Q waves on the electrocardiogram were significantly more common in men of Indian descent than in other ethnic groups (relative risk about 3/1). Indians had significantly lower high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLch) concentrations and significantly higher low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLch) concentrations than other groups. After allowance for age and ethnic group, men with major Q waves or a history of possible myocardial infarction had a significantly greater ratio of LDLch/HDLch than men without either. Comparison of surveys in the Caribbean suggests that in this region CDH is prevalent only in communities in which a sizeable portion of men have an LDLch/HDLch ratio greater than 6 and an LDLch concentration above 5mmol/l (Summary)

Serum and liver triglycerides in malnourished Jamaican children with fatty liver

Measurements were made of triglyceride concentrations in the liver, serum, and serum lipoproteins in malnourished Jamaican children with fatty liver. The fasting serum triglyceride concentrations of the patients, before treatment, were highly variable, ranging from 55.6 to 353 mg/100ml. The patterns of change for serum triglyceride concentration during treatment were also variable. Patients were grouped according to whether the concentrations of serum triglycerides after recovery were higher than, lower than, or unchanged from, the concentrations before treatment. The three groupings then exhibited concentrations before treatment that fell in discrete ranges, being respectively low, high, or normal. There was no clinical difference among the three groups of patients. There was also no difference in the serum lipoprotein pattern nor in the composition of the serum very low density lipoprotein. The latter did not change during treatment. In most patients the fasting serum triglyceride concentrations before treatment appeared to be correlated with age. The difference between these findings and those reported from other countries are discussed. (AU)