Using the Framingham Risk Score to evaluate immigrant effect on cardiovascular disease risk in Mexican Americans.
BACKGROUND
This study uses the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) for 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) to evaluate differences between Mexican American immigrants and the U.S.-born population.


RESULTS
Data from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (N=1,559). Average total risk scores were generated by age group for each gender. Regression analysis was conducted adjusting for covariates and interaction effects. Both women and men in the CCHC sample who were long-term immigrant residents (mean FRS scores women 4.2 with p<.001 vs. men 4.0 with p<.001) or born in the U.S. (mean FRS scores women 4.6 with p<.001 vs. men 3.3 with p<.001) had significantly higher risk scores than immigrants who had only been in this country for less than 10 years. The interaction model indicates that differences between immigrant and native-born Mexican Americans are most greatly felt at lowest levels of socioeconomic status for men in the CCHC.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that in terms of immigrant advantage in CVD risk, on whom, where, and how the comparisons are being made have important implications for the degree of difference observed.
Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Brownsville Campus, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA. jennifer.j.salinas@uth.tmc.edu
Jennifer J
JJ
Salinas
Bassent
B
Abdelbary
Jeffrey
J
Wilson
Monir
M
Hossain
Susan
S
Fisher-Hoch
Joseph
J
McCormick
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D003625:Data Collection; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology