Diabetes and ischemic heart disease among Yemenite immigrants in Israel.
BACKGROUND
The pattern of diabetes and ischemic heart disease among emigrants from pre-industrialized societies to more developed countries may be explained by both genetic and environmental factors.


OBJECTIVE
To describe and interpret the pattern of diabetes and ischemic heart disease among Yemenite immigrants in Israel and their second-generation offspring.


METHODS
Medical record charts of adult Yemenites were surveyed in a primary care health center, and the data were compared with prevalence rates derived from a non-Yemenite population.


RESULTS
There was a marked excess of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus among Yemenite immigrants over 45 years of age, but not of hypertension or ischemic heart disease. Yemenites with diabetes were far less likely to develop ischemic heart disease than non-Yemenites with diabetes (odds ratio for non-Yemenites compared with Yemenites, 3.5; confidence interval 1.54 < OR < 7.77).


CONCLUSIONS
There was less of an association between diabetes and ischemic heart disease among Yemenites. This finding requires further investigation of the relative roles of genetic and environmental factors.
Weingarten
M A
MA
Department of Family Medicine, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel. weingml@post.tau.ac.il
Katzir
I
I
Sprecher
E
E
Kobzantsev
S
S
Zelzer
C
C
Kahan
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015006:Yemen / Q000208:ethnology