Cardiovascular risk factors in Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white children: The Corpus Christi Child Heart Study.
BACKGROUND
Information concerning differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors between Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white children is limited. We conducted a study to determine if there were ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and whether such differences were explained by differences in body mass index.


RESULTS
Fasting glucose, insulin, and blood lipid concentrations, blood pressure, weight, and height were measured in a cross-sectional survey among 403 third-grade children in Corpus Christi, Tex. We found significantly higher fasting insulin and glucose concentrations among Mexican-American than among non-Hispanic white children. Mexican-American boys had slightly lower levels of HDL cholesterol and higher systolic blood pressure than non-Hispanic white boys. Ethnic differences in insulin and glucose were not explained by body mass index.


CONCLUSIONS
These results provide preliminary evidence that ethnic differences in insulin, glucose, body mass index, and other risk factors occur as early as age 8 to 10 years. Additional research is warranted on differences in risk factors in Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white children and the potential importance of insulin in influencing the natural history of these characteristics.
Tortolero
S R
SR
Southwest Center for Prevention Research, School of Public Health, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, 77225, USA. stortolero@utsph.sph.uth.tmc.edu
Goff
D C
DC
Nichaman
M Z
MZ
Labarthe
D R
DR
Grunbaum
J A
JA
Hanis
C L
CL
D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D012307:Risk Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids