African Americans and Caucasians have a similar prevalence of coronary calcium in the Dallas Heart Study.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to compare the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis in a cohort of middle-age African American (black) and non-Hispanic Caucasian (white) men and women from a population-based probability sample.


BACKGROUND
Blacks have a higher mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) than whites, particularly among younger individuals, and yet several studies have reported that coronary atherosclerosis is less prevalent in blacks than in whites. Data from population-based samples comparing coronary atherosclerotic burden between blacks and whites are limited.


METHODS
The prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis in middle-aged blacks and whites was determined using coronary calcium measured by electron beam computed tomography in 1,289 men and women from a population-based probability sample from Dallas, Texas.


RESULTS
The population estimates of the frequency of a positive scan for coronary artery calcium were not statistically different between black and white men (37% vs. 41%, p = 0.36) or between black and white women (29% vs. 23%, p = 0.21). Although the prevalence of most of the coronary risk factors varied significantly between blacks and whites, mean Framingham coronary risk factor scores were identical in black and white men (10 +/- 4) but significantly higher in black women (13 +/- 4) than in white women (12 +/- 4).


CONCLUSIONS
Blacks in the general population have a prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis similar to whites. Factors other than coronary atherosclerotic burden, which are not reflected in the Framingham risk score, contribute significantly to the higher CHD mortality rate in blacks.
Jain
Tulika
T
Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center and the Department of Internal Medicine, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Peshock
Ronald
R
McGuire
Darren K
DK
Willett
DuWayne
D
Yu
Zhoaxia
Z
Yu
Zhoazia
Z
Vega
Gloria L
GL
Guerra
Rudy
R
Hobbs
Helen H
HH
Grundy
Scott M
SM
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D002118:Calcium