Prevalence of risk factors for coronary heart disease among Dominicans in the Dominican Republic: comparison with Japanese and Americans using existing data.

Risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Dominicans were compared with those of Japanese and Americans for the presumption of prevalence of CHD in about 2000 persons. Dominican adults aged 20 through 76 years were medically examined in 1993. Data of nationally representative Japanese and Americans which included serum lipid levels were compared. Total cholesterol levels(TCH) in Dominicans were lower than those in Americans. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in Dominicans were lower than those in Japanese and Americans. The prevalence of hypertension and current smoking rates in Dominicans were similar to that of Americans and lower than that of Japanese. TCH in Americans have substantially been declining and those in Japanese were inadequate for preventing CHD. The prevalence of CHD in Dominicans may be lower than that of Americans viewed from the recent levels of main risk factors. Community wide health programs have spread to people with hypertension a decrease in the incidence of CHD should occur.