Greater incidence of hospitalized myocardial infarction among Mexican Americans than non-Hispanic whites. The Corpus Christi Heart Project, 1988-1992.
BACKGROUND
Since Mexican Americans have adverse patterns of risk factors for myocardial infarction relative to non-Hispanic whites, the incidence of myocardial infarction should be greater among Mexican Americans than among non-Hispanic whites. This expectation conflicts with reports generated from death certificate registries.


RESULTS
Data regarding myocardial infarction attacks and incident events were collected for a 4-year period in the Corpus Christi Heart Project, a population-based surveillance project for hospitalized coronary heart disease events. For both women and men, Mexican Americans experienced greater hospitalization rates for both attacks and incident events than non-Hispanic whites. Age-adjusted attack rate ratios comparing Mexican Americans with non-Hispanic whites were 1.59 (95% CI, 1.05 to 2.41) and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.18 to 1.45) among women and men, respectively. Corresponding incidence ratios were 1.52 (95% CI, 1.28 to 1.80) and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.42).


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report documenting greater incidence of hospitalized myocardial infarction among Mexican Americans than among non-Hispanic whites, a biologically plausible finding given the risk factor patterns observed in the Mexican-American population. Public health planners and clinicians should be aware of the importance of myocardial infarction as a health problem in the Mexican-American population. Culturally appropriate prevention strategies should be developed for and tested in Mexican-American populations.
Goff
D C
DC
Epidemiology Research Center, University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, School of Public Health 77225, USA.
Nichaman
M Z
MZ
Chan
W
W
Ramsey
D J
DJ
Labarthe
D R
DR
Ortiz
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People