Preclinical coronary atherosclerosis in a population with low incidence of myocardial infarction: cross sectional autopsy study
- 11 September 2003
- Vol. 327 (7415) , 591-592
- https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7415.591
Abstract
Studies of autopsies indicate that atherosclerosis begins in childhood and is related to risk factors for coronary heart disease in the same way as for adult atherosclerosis.1 In Spain, despite risk factors for coronary heart disease being common, incidence of myocardial infarction and related mortality rates are among the lowest in the world.2 3 This paradox may be explained in two ways. One theory proposes that there is a time lag between increased consumption of animal fat and raised serum cholesterol concentrations, which have occurred more recently in Mediterranean populations than in other Western countries, and the expected increase in rates of coronary heart disease.4 An alternative explanation is that Mediterranean countries share behavioural and socioeconomic factors that prevent or delay atherogenesis.5 If this is true, the arteries of young Spaniards should be free from atheroma. We studied autopsies to evaluate the prevalence and severity of atherosclerosis in several arterial beds of young trauma victims from Barcelona. We report the results of left coronary artery evaluation. At …Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Origin of atherosclerosis in childhood and adolescenceThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2000
- Estimation of contribution of changes in coronary care to improving survival, event rates, and coronary heart disease mortality across the WHO MONICA Project populationsThe Lancet, 2000
- Why heart disease mortality is low in France: the time lag explanation Commentary: Alcohol and other dietary factors may be important Commentary: Intrauterine nutrition may be important Commentary: Heterogeneity of populations should be taken into account Authors' responseBMJ, 1999