title: Impact of acculturation on cardiovascular risk factors among elderly Mexican Americans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Higher levels of acculturation among Latinos have been shown to be associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in some studies of middle-age persons. The association of acculturation and prevalence of CV risk factors in elderly Latinos is less well established.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acculturation was measured using the validated bidimensional Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the association of acculturation with prevalence of CV risk factors among 1789 elderly men and women from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging using multivariate linear and logistic regression. We tested for the interaction of acculturation with risk factors by nativity status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age was 69.8 years. Higher acculturation was associated with lower systolic blood pressure, lower low-density lipoprotein, higher high-density lipoprotein, and lower prevalence of CV disease after age and sex adjustment. Higher acculturation remained associated with lower level of low-density lipoprotein and higher level of high-density lipoprotein after full adjustment. Nativity status did not affect these results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to other reports in middle-aged persons, higher levels of acculturation were associated with better lipid profiles and no significant differences in other CV risk factors by acculturation level in elderly Latinos.
authors.affiliation: Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Disparities Solutions Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Department of General Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. Electronic address: llopez1@partners.org.
authors.forename: Lenny
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: López
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, San Francisco VA Medical Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Carmen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Adina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeki Al Hazzouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Mary N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Haan
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010808:Physical Examination; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Acculturation; Cardiovascular risk factors; Hispanics