[Multiculturalism and cardiovascular diseases]. / Multiculturalismo e malattie cardiovascolari.

ABSTRACT

Immigration has increased drastically to the point of becoming an ordinary structure of our society. Once in Italy, the immigrant's health is compromised rapidly due to a series of conditions and illnesses that exist in our country lack of work, inadequate salary, inappropriate residence, lacking family support, climate changes, nutritional differences. Cardiovascular illnesses represent 7.6% of the diseases of the immigrants, and cause 36.6% of deaths. The risk factors that affect the genesis of cardiovascular diseases include subjective factors (age, ethnic group), environmental, nutritional and pathological (arterial hypertension, AIDS, tuberculosis, alcohol). The challenge for our time is to design a new solidarity model to promote cultural and social integration in order to meet the multiethnical and multiracial needs of western society. This model should permit reconsideration of doctor-patient relationship in order to build a real intercultural society.