International Journal of Epidemiology 2001;30:1071-1075
© International Epidemiological Association 2001
Cardiovascular disease and Diabetes |
Does the Mediterranean paradox extend to abdominal aortic aneurysm?
a Department of Public Health, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia.
b Department of Vascular Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia.
c University Department of Surgery, Fremantle Hospital, Fremantle, Western Australia.
Konrad Jamrozik, Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, Imperial College School of Medicine, Reynolds Building, St Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RP, UK. E-mail: konrad{at}ic.ac.uk
Abstract
Background We sought to test, in men undergoing ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in Western Australia, clinical impressions that the prevalence of AAA is high in Dutch migrants and low in migrants from Mediterranean countries.
Methods In a population-based trial, men undergoing screening for AAA completed a questionnaire covering their place of birth, smoking habits and consumption of alcohol, meat, fish, salt and milk. We examined the variation by place of birth in the mean, median, 95th and 99th centiles of infrarenal aortic diameter and the prevalences of AAA defined by criteria of 30 mm, 50 mm and by the 95th and 99th centiles, in men born in Australia, of aortic diameter adjusted for height.
Findings Overall, 12 203 (70.5%) of the 19 583 men took up the invitation to undergo ultrasound screening. The prevalence of AAA defined by absolute diameter was higher than average in men born in The Netherlands or Scotland (more of whom had ever smoked or smoked currently) and lower in men of Mediterranean origin (more of whom drank alcohol currently). There were no consistent relationships with simple dietary data. Correction of aortic diameter for height eliminated the significant heterogeneity in prevalence of large AAA, although a threefold variation in prevalence of AAA exceeding the 95th centile of height-adjusted diameter in Australian men persisted.
Interpretation In our cohort of men, which is subject to both ‘healthy migrant’ and ‘survivor’ effects, if it exists at all, any ‘Mediterranean paradox’ for AAA is more modest than that for coronary disease.
Keywords Abdominal aortic aneurysm, place of birth, prevalence, normal range
Accepted 19 February 2001
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  P. E Norman, L. Flicker, O. P Almeida, G. J Hankey, Z. Hyde, and K. Jamrozik Cohort Profile: The Health In Men Study (HIMS) Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2009; 38(1): 48 - 52. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|