Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 20, Issue 5, 2018, Pages 1147-1157

Cardiovascular Health in St. Louis Bosnian-Americans (Article)

Bourdillon M.T. , Akhter A.S. , Vrtikapa D. , Avdagic A. , McNeese M.A. , Lee R. , Hui D.S.*
  • a Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 3635 Vista Ave, DT 13, Saint Louis, MO, United States
  • b Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 3635 Vista Ave, DT 13, Saint Louis, MO, United States
  • c Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 3635 Vista Ave, DT 13, Saint Louis, MO, United States
  • d Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 3635 Vista Ave, DT 13, Saint Louis, MO, United States
  • e SSM Saint Louis University Hospital, Saint Louis, MO, United States
  • f Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 3635 Vista Ave, DT 13, Saint Louis, MO, United States
  • g Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 3635 Vista Ave, DT 13, Saint Louis, MO, United States

Abstract

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, cardiovascular disease accounts for nearly 50% of deaths. Cardiovascular health of resettled Bosnian-Americans has not been well-characterized. Our study aimed to quantify cardiovascular risk in Bosnian-Americans in St. Louis, the largest non-European center of resettlement. Seven community screenings focused on Bosnian-Americans were held. Cardiovascular risk was calculated to stratify individuals into low (<10%), moderate (10–20%), and high (>20%) risk. Those with self-reported coronary heart disease (CHD) or risk equivalent were considered high-risk. Two-hundred fifty Bosnian-Americans were screened; 51% (n = 128) consented to the IRB-approved study. Twenty-one percent were smokers, 33% obese, and 33% had hypertension. Excluding risk equivalent individuals, 5.7% of subjects were high-risk, increasing to 26.6% when including high-risk equivalents. Lipid abnormalities include elevated triglycerides (29.0%) and low HDL (50.0%). Compared to general American population studies, Bosnian-Americans have greater ten-year hard CHD risk. A community-based approach identified potential culturally-based lifestyle interventions including diet, exercise, and smoking. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Author Keywords

Bosnian–American Predicted coronary heart disease risk Immigrant health cardiovascular screening

Index Keywords

Missouri Lipids refugee exercise Cardiovascular Diseases human epidemiology Refugees middle aged statistics and numerical data obesity diet hypertension Bosnia and Herzegovina ethnology lipid United States Humans cardiovascular disease smoking male female risk factor Risk Factors blood adult Coronary Disease coronary artery disease
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85027675031&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-017-0641-1&partnerID=40&md5=edfa825b0c8a355317cddd6f0dff88da
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-017-0641-1
ISSN: 15571912
Original Language: English