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Age relations of cardiovascular risk factors in a traditional Melanesian society: the Kitava Study

Lindeberg, Staffan LU ; Berntorp, Erik LU ; Nilsson-Ehle, Peter LU ; Terent, Andreas and Vessby, Bengt (1997) In American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66(4). p.845-852
Abstract
This study examined cross-sectional age relations of blood pressure, anthropometric indexes, serum lipids, and hemostatic variables in 203 subsistence horticulturists aged 20-86 y in Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea. The population is characterized by extreme leanness (despite food abundance), low blood pressure, low plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity, and rarity of cardiovascular disease. Tubers, fruit, fish, and coconut are dietary staples whereas dairy products, refined fat and sugar, cereals, and alcohol are absent and salt intake is low. Although diastolic blood pressure was not associated with age in Kitavans, systolic blood pressure increased linearly after 50 y of age in both sexes. Body mass index... (More)
This study examined cross-sectional age relations of blood pressure, anthropometric indexes, serum lipids, and hemostatic variables in 203 subsistence horticulturists aged 20-86 y in Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea. The population is characterized by extreme leanness (despite food abundance), low blood pressure, low plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity, and rarity of cardiovascular disease. Tubers, fruit, fish, and coconut are dietary staples whereas dairy products, refined fat and sugar, cereals, and alcohol are absent and salt intake is low. Although diastolic blood pressure was not associated with age in Kitavans, systolic blood pressure increased linearly after 50 y of age in both sexes. Body mass index decreased with age in both sexes. Serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B increased in males between 20 and 50 y of age, whereas high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I decreased. There were no significant differences in these indexes with age in the few females studied. A slight linear age-related increase of lipoprotein(a) was present in males. Plasma fibrinogen, factor VII clotting activity, factor VIII clotting activity, and von Willebrand factor antigen increased with age in both sexes but plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity did not. The modest or absent relations between the indexes measured and age are apparently important explanations of the virtual nonexistence of stroke and ischemic heart disease in Kitava. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aging, diet, epidemiology, humans, cardiovascular risk factors, Papua New Guinea, traditional population, Kitava Study
in
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
volume
66
issue
4
pages
845 - 852
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:9322559
  • scopus:0030851702
ISSN
1938-3207
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
12a0b8aa-b3f0-43fb-8a8c-76ea3c326b57 (old id 1112293)
alternative location
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/66/4/845
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:48:25
date last changed
2024-01-11 15:14:25
@article{12a0b8aa-b3f0-43fb-8a8c-76ea3c326b57,
  abstract     = {{This study examined cross-sectional age relations of blood pressure, anthropometric indexes, serum lipids, and hemostatic variables in 203 subsistence horticulturists aged 20-86 y in Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea. The population is characterized by extreme leanness (despite food abundance), low blood pressure, low plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity, and rarity of cardiovascular disease. Tubers, fruit, fish, and coconut are dietary staples whereas dairy products, refined fat and sugar, cereals, and alcohol are absent and salt intake is low. Although diastolic blood pressure was not associated with age in Kitavans, systolic blood pressure increased linearly after 50 y of age in both sexes. Body mass index decreased with age in both sexes. Serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B increased in males between 20 and 50 y of age, whereas high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I decreased. There were no significant differences in these indexes with age in the few females studied. A slight linear age-related increase of lipoprotein(a) was present in males. Plasma fibrinogen, factor VII clotting activity, factor VIII clotting activity, and von Willebrand factor antigen increased with age in both sexes but plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity did not. The modest or absent relations between the indexes measured and age are apparently important explanations of the virtual nonexistence of stroke and ischemic heart disease in Kitava.}},
  author       = {{Lindeberg, Staffan and Berntorp, Erik and Nilsson-Ehle, Peter and Terent, Andreas and Vessby, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{1938-3207}},
  keywords     = {{Aging; diet; epidemiology; humans; cardiovascular
risk factors; Papua New Guinea; traditional population; Kitava Study}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{845--852}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Clinical Nutrition}},
  title        = {{Age relations of cardiovascular risk factors in a traditional Melanesian society: the Kitava Study}},
  url          = {{http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/66/4/845}},
  volume       = {{66}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}