BACKGROUND: The arrival of 610,000 new immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet republics accounted for 58% of the population growth in the early 1990's. OBJECTIVE: To compare the coronary angiographic findings and risk factors between the new immigrants and local Jewish and Arab patients in this era of cost containment. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 550 consecutive patients--314 Jews, 95 new immigrants and 141 Arabs--were catheterized and analyzed during a 5 month period in 1995. Of this group 403 were males (73%). The mean age was 63.6 +/- 10.2 years among new immigrants, 62.4 +/- 9.4 among Jews, and 55.1 +/- 10.9 among Arabs (P < 0.05). Immigrants, including those under age 60, had the highest prevalence of multivessel disease (88.7%). Arabs had a high prevalence of single vessel disease (34.6%) and a low prevalence of multivessel (65.4%) and left main coronary disease (5.6%). Age, gender, risk factors and ethnic origin in descending order were determinants of the extent of coronary angiographic disease as revealed by multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: New immigrants had the most extensive angiographic coronary involvement, while Arab patients were younger and had less severe coronary artery disease. More intensive risk factor modification may have a major impact on disease progression particularly in the new immigrant subgroup.
BACKGROUND: The arrival of 610,000 new immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet republics accounted for 58% of the population growth in the early 1990's. OBJECTIVE: To compare the coronary angiographic findings and risk factors between the new immigrants and local Jewish and Arab patients in this era of cost containment. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 550 consecutive patients--314 Jews, 95 new immigrants and 141 Arabs--were catheterized and analyzed during a 5 month period in 1995. Of this group 403 were males (73%). The mean age was 63.6 +/- 10.2 years among new immigrants, 62.4 +/- 9.4 among Jews, and 55.1 +/- 10.9 among Arabs (P < 0.05). Immigrants, including those under age 60, had the highest prevalence of multivessel disease (88.7%). Arabs had a high prevalence of single vessel disease (34.6%) and a low prevalence of multivessel (65.4%) and left main coronary disease (5.6%). Age, gender, risk factors and ethnic origin in descending order were determinants of the extent of coronary angiographic disease as revealed by multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: New immigrants had the most extensive angiographic coronary involvement, while Arab patients were younger and had less severe coronary artery disease. More intensive risk factor modification may have a major impact on disease progression particularly in the new immigrant subgroup.