Risk factors for a coronary heart disease event (completed)

About the project

South Asians who live in western nations have been found to have high prevalence of certain risk factors for cardiovascular diseases compared to Europeans and Africans. Studies on south Asians in developing countries have traditionally grouped them together as one homogenous group. But in actual fact there are considerable differences in their origins and life styles. Intra-ethnic, urban-rural and social class differences have been demonstrated within Pakistan and India. The INTERHEART study findings suggest the need for risk factor profiling of different ethnic groups.

The studies from Sri Lanka have not looked at ethnicity. Apart from that, no studies comparing expatriate Sri Lankans in developed countries with host country populations or with those living in Sri Lanka have been found. This study will attempt to explore some of the areas that have not been dealt with in studies on Sri Lankans previously

Objectives

To assess the prevalence of selected risk factors for cardiovascular disease and to identify possible contributing factors among Sinhalese and Tamils of urban areas in Central Province, Sri Lanka and to compare with Sri Lankans living in Oslo, Norway.

• To compare the prevalence of selected risk factors for cardiovascular disease between Sri Lankan Tamils in Oslo, Norway with urban Tamils of Kandy, Sri Lanka
• To describe the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and associations with socio economic position among Sinhalese of Central province and compare with Tamils of Central province, Sri Lanka.
• To assess the association between obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors as well as their association with socio-demographic factors in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
• To describe dietary habits and assess the associations between socio-economic position with diet and frequency of intake of selected food items with cardiovascular risk factors among Tamils and Sinhalese in Central province, Sri Lanka.
• To calculate the 10 year SCORE and Framingham risk estimates for Sinhalese and Tamils of Central province, Sri Lanka

Outcomes

Publications

Cooperation

• Section for preventive medicine and epidemiology, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Univeristy  of Oslo, Norway.
• Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Start - Finish

August 2008 - December 2011