title: Coronary Artery Disease in French Canadians-Investigation of a Suggested Vulnerable Population.
abstract: There is a perception among Canadian physicians that coronary artery disease (CAD) and adverse cardiac events are more common in those of French Canadian heritage. We sought to compare the prevalence of CAD using coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in French Canadians and non-French white Canadians.
  
  
  
  Consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled in our institutional CCTA registry. Of 10,868 CCTA examinations, we analyzed white patients who identified themselves as French Canadian or non-French Canadian. These 2 groups were compared for baseline characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, and routine markers for CAD on CTCA. Propensity score adjustments were also made to account for differences in demographics.
  
  
  
  We identified 1683 French Canadians (mean age, 58.5 ± 10.7 years; 54.2% men) and 5077 non-French white Canadians (mean age, 59.4 ± 11.4 years; 57.3% men). French Canadians were more likely to have a smoking history (64.1% vs 56.1%), diabetes (15.6% vs 13.6%), and a family history of premature CAD (53.3% vs 44.6%) (P < 0.05 for all). There was no significant difference in measures of CAD between French Canadians and non-French white Canadians in obstructive CAD (32.5% vs 32.2%; P = 0.997), total plaque score (4.6 ± 4.3 vs 4.5 ± 4.4; P = 0.616) and Agatston score (168.1 ± 319.8 vs 183.6 ± 433.7; P = 0.371). After propensity score adjustment, there was still no significant difference between the groups.
  
  
  
  Our study suggests that French Canadians in the Champlain region have a greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors compared with non-French Canadians; however, they do not appear to have a greater prevalence or severity of coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by CCTA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Chadi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayoub
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Methods Centre University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernick
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Punitha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arasaratnam
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan D H
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Methods Centre University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Alomgir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Terrence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruddy
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Royal Perth Hospital, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hillis
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kritharides
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: bchow@ottawaheart.ca.
authors.forename: Benjamin J W
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057216:Propensity Score; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology