DIET, BLOOD LIPIDS AND HEALTH OF ITALIAN MEN IN BOSTON*

  1. DAVID C. MILLER, M.D.
    Tuba City, Arizona
    ;
  2. MARTHA F. TRULSON, D.SC.;
  3. MARY B. MCCANN, M.P.H.;
  4. PAUL D. WHITE, M.D., M.A.C.P.; and
  5. FREDRICK J. STARE, M.D.
    Boston, Massachusetts
  1. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Miss Jean M. Hoegger, Assistant in Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Harvard University School of Public Health,
    1 Shattuck Street, Boston 15, Massachusetts
    .

Excerpt

INTRODUCTION The hypothesis that ingestion of excess dietary fat leads to coronary arterial and heart disease is man is supported by much suggestive evidence but has yet to be demonstrated by rigorous proof. Atherosclerosis, including coronary atherosclerosis, has been induced in a variety of animals by different experimental regimens. Generally these involved the feeding of cholesterol and a high intake of fat. Under certain conditions the latter causes hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipoproteinemia in man, but firm evidence is lacking that coronary heart disease in man is caused by either overnutrition of fat or by over- or undernutrition of any other nutrient.1

Summario in Interlingua

Le hypothese que le ingestion de quantitates excessive de grassia dietari es un causa de morbo de arteria coronari e de morbo cardiac ha le supporto de multe indicios suggestive, sed su demonstration per provas rigorose ha non ancora essite effectuate. In recente annos, investigationes epidemiologic ha devenite plus commun con respecto a morbo cardiovascular, e le reportos de multe tal investigationes reinfortia le hypothese de "hyperlipemia ex hyperlipophagia" como causation de morbo cardiac coronari. Keys et al. reportativa que obreros neapolita, le dietas de qui contine approximativemente 20 pro cento de grassia (in terminos caloric), ha plus basse nivellos de cholesterol del sero e un plus basse incidentia de morbo cardiac que simile gruppos de obreros in le Statos Unite, ubi le dietas contine circa 40 pro cento de grassia.

Pro determinar additionalmente si factores ambiental e constitutional es plus importante con respecto al basse nivellos de lipido sanguinee que esseva observate in ille neapolitas e pro evalutar meticulosemente le habitudes dietari e le stato cardiovascular de un comparabile gruppo de masculos habitante le Statos Unite, le observationes del presente reporto esseva facite in un gruppo de membros del prime generation american de familias neapolita.

Cento octanta-nove masculos bostonian in bon stato de sanitate, de etates de inter 20 e 50 annos, con parentes nascite in le vicinitate de Neapole, sed qui illes mesme habeva passate omne lor vitas adulte in le Statos Unite, esseva studiate con le constatation que le valor medie de lor cholesterol total del sero e lor ingestion dietari de grassia es simile a lo que vale pro altere americanos e significativemente plus alte que le valores valente pro neapolitas native.

Le question del disveloppamento probabile de morbo cardiac coronari esseva attaccate indirectemente per comparar le frequentia de morbo cardiac arteriosclerotic in le patientes mascule de etates de inter 40 e 70 annos in Boston con constatationes correspondente in Neapole. Iste incidentia esseva 18 pro cento al Hospital Municipal Boston e 3 pro cento in le hospitales de Neapole.

Intra le gruppo de Boston, nulle significative differentias del nivellos medie de lipido sanguinee esseva constatate in le comparation de subgruppos segregate super le base de differentias del procentages del calorias dietari representate per grassia, non-saturate acidos grasse, acidos grasse "essential," o proteina animal. Le ingestion de iste nutrientes non variava grandemente intra le gruppo total, de maniera que le absentia de correlationes positive non exclude le possibilitate de lor existentia in le comparation de gruppos con plus acute contrastos del modos dietari.

Quando le gruppo total esseva subdividite secundo le criterios de etate, de peso relative del corpore, de fumar o non-fumar cigarrettas, de pression de sanguine, de constatationes electrocardiographic, e de presentia o absentia de historias familial de morbo cardiovascular e renal o de diabete, differentias appreciable del valores medie de lipido sanguinee esseva trovate.

Article and Author Information

  • * Received for publication January 10, 1958.

  • From the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.

  • Supported in part by Grants in Aid from the John A. Hartford Memorial Fund, the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, New York, and the Fund for Research and Teaching, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health.

  • Senior Surgeon, U. S. Public Health Service.

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