title: Prevalence of coronary risk factors in elderly blacks and whites.
abstract: Coronary risk factors were determined in a prospective study of 1,414 elderly persons (999 women and 415 men), mean age 82 +/- 8 years. Of 1,414 persons, 215 (15%) were black and 1,140 (81%) were white. The prevalences of cigarette smoking, hypercholesterolemia, low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased serum total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio were not significantly different in elderly blacks and whites. Elderly blacks had a higher prevalence of hypertension (50% versus 36%, P less than 0.001), diabetes mellitus (27% versus 19%, P less than 0.01), and obesity (11% versus 5%, P less than 0.005) and a lower prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (9% versus 15%, P less than 0.05) than elderly whites. In elderly persons with hypertension, electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy occurred in 19% of blacks and 14% of whites (P not significant), echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy occurred in 72% of blacks and 56% of whites (P less than 0.01), and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy occurred in 60% of blacks and 39% of whites (P less than 0.001).
authors.affiliation: Hebrew Hospital for Chronic Sick, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10475.
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Aronow
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kronzon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000453:epidemiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000208:ethnology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002784:Cholesterol