Aging and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in older American Indians: the Strong Heart Study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe longitudinal changes in the prevalence of major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in aging American Indians.


METHODS
Population-based ongoing epidemiological study.


METHODS
The Strong Heart Study is a study of CVD and its risk factors. Standardized examinations were repeated in 1993 to 1995 and again in 1997 to 1999.


METHODS
A diverse cohort of 4,549 American Indians aged 45 to 74 at the initial examinations in 1989 to 1991.


METHODS
Changes in the prevalence of hypertension, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), current smoking, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.


RESULTS
The prevalence of hypertension rose rapidly and steadily with aging. A nonsignificant decrease in LDL-C was seen in men, and men and women initially had rapid increases in the prevalence of low HDL-C. The prevalence of smoking decreased, but the prevalence of diabetes mellitus continued to rise for men and women.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, unfavorable changes in CVD risk factors were seen in the aging participants and will likely be reflected in worsening morbidity and mortality.
Rhoades
Dorothy A
DA
Native Elder Research Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA. drhoades@myuw.net
Welty
Thomas K
TK
Wang
Wenyu
W
Yeh
Fawn
F
Devereux
Richard B
RB
Fabsitz
Richard R
RR
Lee
Elisa T
ET
Howard
Barbara V
BV
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000208:ethnology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D009026:Mortality; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*
D002784:Cholesterol