Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease in Diabetic and Nondiabetic Native Americans: The Strong Heart Study

The Strong Heart Study is a study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among diabetic and nondiabetic Native Americans. The study includes 12 tribes in Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota. Phase I, initiated in October 1988, included a mortality survey to determine CVD death rates in individuals 35-74 yr old between 1984 and 1988, and a medical record review to determine rates of myocardial infarction and stroke for individuals ages 45-74 during the same time. In addition, a physical examination was performed on persons 45-74 yr old to measure the prevalence of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases and known and suspected risk factors. In Phase II, CVD mortality and morbidity rates will be determined in the examined cohort by surveillance. CVD risk factors, changes in risk factors over time, and the relationship between risk factors and CVD incidence will be assessed longitudinally. This study provides data on the relative importance of cardiovascular risk factors in nondiabetic and diabetic Native Americans and will provide insight into possible variations in the quantitative or qualitative importance of CVD risk factors among diverse population groups.