title: Prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases among Hispanic/Latino individuals of diverse backgrounds in the United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading causes of mortality among US Hispanic and Latino individuals. Comprehensive data are limited regarding the prevalence of CVD risk factors in this population and relations of these traits to socioeconomic status (SES) and acculturation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe prevalence of major CVD risk factors and CVD (coronary heart disease [CHD] and stroke) among US Hispanic/Latino individuals of different backgrounds, examine relationships of SES and acculturation with CVD risk profiles and CVD, and assess cross-sectional associations of CVD risk factors with CVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, prospective, population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos including individuals of Cuban (n = 2201), Dominican (n = 1400), Mexican (n = 6232), Puerto Rican (n = 2590), Central American (n = 1634), and South American backgrounds (n = 1022) aged 18 to 74 years. Analyses involved 15,079 participants with complete data enrolled between March 2008 and June 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adverse CVD risk factors defined using national guidelines for hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and smoking. Prevalence of CHD and stroke were ascertained from self-reported data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age-standardized prevalence of CVD risk factors varied by Hispanic/Latino background; obesity and current smoking rates were highest among Puerto Rican participants (for men, 40.9% and 34.7%; for women, 51.4% and 31.7%, respectively); hypercholesterolemia prevalence was highest among Central American men (54.9%) and Puerto Rican women (41.0%). Large proportions of participants (80% of men, 71% of women) had at least 1 risk factor. Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of 3 or more risk factors was highest in Puerto Rican participants (25.0%) and significantly higher (P < .001) among participants with less education (16.1%), those who were US-born (18.5%), those who had lived in the United States 10 years or longer (15.7%), and those who preferred English (17.9%). Overall, self-reported CHD and stroke prevalence were low (4.2% and 2.0% in men; 2.4% and 1.2% in women, respectively). In multivariate-adjusted models, hypertension and smoking were directly associated with CHD in both sexes as were hypercholesterolemia and obesity in women and diabetes in men (odds ratios [ORs], 1.5-2.2). For stroke, associations were positive with hypertension in both sexes, diabetes in men, and smoking in women (ORs, 1.7-2.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among US Hispanic/Latino adults of diverse backgrounds, a sizeable proportion of men and women had adverse major risk factors; prevalence of adverse CVD risk profiles was higher among participants with Puerto Rican background, lower SES, and higher levels of acculturation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Minority Health Research, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. daviglus@uic.edu
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Daviglus
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Talavera
authors.forename: M Larissa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Avilés-Santa
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Jianwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Criqui
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gellman
authors.forename: Aida L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Giachello
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gouskova
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: LaVange
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Penedo
authors.forename: Krista
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perreira
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirzada
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schneiderman
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wassertheil-Smoller
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Sorlie
authors.forename: Jeremiah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stamler
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012923:Social Class; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult