Coronary heart disease risk factors in black and white patients with non‐insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE: To determine possible racial differences in risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in black and white patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). METHODS: Study of risk factors for coronary heart disease among 308 subjects who met the WHO criteria for NIDDM. RESULTS: Both black and white patients were found to have a high prevalence of hypertension, obesity, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low leisure-time physical activity levels, and an atherogenic dietary profile. Black males were more likely to have hypertension, reported a greater intake of dietary cholesterol, and had lower triglycerides, higher HDL cholesterol levels, a lower CHOL/HDL ratio, and a lower waist to hip ratio (WHR) than white males. Black females had higher mean arterial and diastolic blood pressures, had lower triglycerides, higher HDL cholesterol, a lower CHOL/HDL ratio, a higher subscapular/triceps ratio and lower reported leisure-time energy expenditure compared to white females. There were no racial differences found for obesity level. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that racial differences in CHD risk factors exist among black and white patients with NIDDM. The complex genetic, sociocultural and environmental interactions involving CHD risk factors that contribute to the development of CHD may eventually provide clues to the etiology of the disease.