Preliminary observations on cardiovascular disease in the Bahamas with special reference to the prevalence of hypertension coronary atherosclerosis and composition of depot fat

ABSTRACT

The aims of the study were to confirm the prevalence of hypertension in Bahamians, to determine at autopsy the degree of coronary atherosclerosis in documented cases of hypertensive disease in Bahamians and to analyse depot fat for fatty acids in Bahamians. Blood pressure was measured by a standard technique in 1488, subjects of ages 10-69 years. The records of 1450 consecutive autopsies were examined and the degree of coronary atherosclerosis graded. There were 130 autopsies of Bahamians with clinical evidence of hypertension. Fatty acids were determined on fat biopsies by gas chromatography. A high mortality rate from and prevalence of hypertensive disease exist in the Bahamas, by contrast to a low mortality rate for myocardial infarction and an apparent low prevalence of coronary heart disease. Depot fat composition of Bahamians shows a high level of linoleic acid (C182) (13.3 percent) and a poly-unsaturated/saturated fat ratio of 0.51. The p/s ratio is greater than 0.5 in all countries where the incidence of coronary heart disease is low. It is postulated that the traditional Bahamian diet which is relatively rich in poly-unsaturated fats, modifies the effect of hypertension as a risk factor in the evolution of coronary heart disease in this population (AU)