Smoking habits of ethnic groups lead to higher risk of heart disease
http://www.100md.com
《英国医生杂志》
London
Smoking, one of the many increased risk factors for coronary heart disease, is much higher among Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, and Irish men than in the general population for England, according to the British Heart Foundation's latest statistics on coronary heart disease. And Bangladeshi men are at the highest risk of all because of their smoking habit.
The proportion of Irish women smoking is also higher than the general female population, putting them at greater risk too.
The ethnic differences in smoking habits are of particular concern to the foundation, said Qaim Zaidi, its ethnic strategy coordinator.
"In particular, South Asians living in the UK have a significantly higher premature death rate from coronary heart disease than the rest of the population—and the gap is widening. The death rate is 46% higher than the average for men and 51% higher for women, and it is not falling as fast as it is in the rest of the population," he said.
"One of the main problems to overcome is the high numbers of smokers in the Bangladeshi community—42% of Bangladeshi men smoke, as opposed to 27% in the general male population," he added.
The report looks at a number of factors that affect the risk of heart disease, including diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
"Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities also eat the fewest fruits and vegetables, and South Asians are less likely to participate in physical activity," said Mr Zaidi. "Consequently, they are more likely than the general population to have central obesity... placing an extra strain on the heart."
"The BHF is working hard to tackle this critical issue and has made progress in educating South Asian communities about lifestyle and heart disease in recent years," he said, adding that the charity had invested millions into medical research to benefit ethnic groups. "However, the message is not sinking in quickly enough," he said.
The report says the overall number of coronary heart deaths is down from nearly 121 000 in 2001 to just under 117 500 in 2002. But because fewer people are dying of the disease, many more are living with it. An estimated 2.68 million people currently live with the disease, 30 000 higher than last year.(Lynn Eaton)
Smoking, one of the many increased risk factors for coronary heart disease, is much higher among Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, and Irish men than in the general population for England, according to the British Heart Foundation's latest statistics on coronary heart disease. And Bangladeshi men are at the highest risk of all because of their smoking habit.
The proportion of Irish women smoking is also higher than the general female population, putting them at greater risk too.
The ethnic differences in smoking habits are of particular concern to the foundation, said Qaim Zaidi, its ethnic strategy coordinator.
"In particular, South Asians living in the UK have a significantly higher premature death rate from coronary heart disease than the rest of the population—and the gap is widening. The death rate is 46% higher than the average for men and 51% higher for women, and it is not falling as fast as it is in the rest of the population," he said.
"One of the main problems to overcome is the high numbers of smokers in the Bangladeshi community—42% of Bangladeshi men smoke, as opposed to 27% in the general male population," he added.
The report looks at a number of factors that affect the risk of heart disease, including diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
"Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities also eat the fewest fruits and vegetables, and South Asians are less likely to participate in physical activity," said Mr Zaidi. "Consequently, they are more likely than the general population to have central obesity... placing an extra strain on the heart."
"The BHF is working hard to tackle this critical issue and has made progress in educating South Asian communities about lifestyle and heart disease in recent years," he said, adding that the charity had invested millions into medical research to benefit ethnic groups. "However, the message is not sinking in quickly enough," he said.
The report says the overall number of coronary heart deaths is down from nearly 121 000 in 2001 to just under 117 500 in 2002. But because fewer people are dying of the disease, many more are living with it. An estimated 2.68 million people currently live with the disease, 30 000 higher than last year.(Lynn Eaton)