Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Arab Americans Living in Metropolitan Washington, DC
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Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Arab Americans Living in Metropolitan Washington, DC Nawar M. Shara & Elizabeth A. Carter & Soleman Abu-Bader & Antonio Deshields & Ali Fokar & Barbara V. Howard
Published online: 11 March 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profiles of Arab Americans may differ from those of the majority ethnic groups in the United States on which clinical practice guidelines are based. Reasons for these differences include genetic homogeneity and both cultural and lifestyle factors that influence CVD risk. Therefore, appropriate therapeutic targets for effective CVD prevention in Arab Americans need to be designed. However, research on Arab American health is sparse. For the cross-sectional survey described in this article, a convenience sample of Arab Americans living in Washington, DC; Virginia; and Maryland was recruited. Arab Americans in our sample had a higher prevalence of high cholesterol and lower prevalence of diabetes and hypertension than the general population of the United States. High levels of smoking and a lack of physical activity were also reported. Most participants (71%) reported a score of 15 and below on the Center for
N. M. Shara (*) : E. A. Carter : A. Fokar : B. V. Howard MedStar Health Research Institute, 6525 Belcrest Road, Suite 700, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA e-mail: [email protected] S. Abu-Bader Howard University School of Social Work, Washington, DC, USA A. Deshields Georgetown Preparatory School, Bethesda, MD, USA N. M. Shara Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, MedStar Health Research Institute, 6525 Belcrest Road, Suite 700, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA
Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, indicating no signs of clinical depression. Predictors of depression were compared in those born inside and outside the United States. With the results from this survey, we have designed a cross-sectional study to begin in early 2010 to determine the prevalence of CVD risk factors in Arab Americans which can be compared with the overall population of the United States. Keywords Cardiovascular disease . Epidemiology . Arab American . Risk factors
Introduction Arab Americans may have cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profiles that differ substantially from the majority ethnic groups on which clinical practice guidelines in the United States are based. Reasons for these differences may include genetic homogeneity that may predispose or protect against heart disease, and cultural factors, such as Westernization, diet, lifestyle, and spirituality, which may influence CVD risk. In 2000, 1.2 million US residents reported having Arab ancestry [1]. From 1990 to 1999, the self-identified Arab American population increased by 38%, and this increase is expected to continue [2]. Therefore, a separate ethnicity categorization for Arab Americans may be needed in both collecting health data and designing effective programs for health promotion. Clearly, an understanding of the prevalence, correlates
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