Part 1: Indicators of coronary risk in a migrating Samoan population

Anthropometric and biochemical data were collected on 419 Samoan adults representing traditional, westernized and migrant populations with the aim of isolating risk factors associated with a documented rise in heart disease in westernized Samoan populations. Analysis of data revealed that westernization results in a more atherogenic lipid profile with respect to cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Westernized males also show an increase in blood pressure and obesity when compared with the more traditional group, though these differences are not so distinct in females. The results were interpreted as indicating that changes in diet and activity pattern were most likely associated with the alterations in westernized males whereas a change in diet alone could account for differences in females. Migration alone was found to make no significant change in the likelihood of westernized Samoans developing heart disease.