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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.123844v1 AJPH.2007.123844v2 98/11/1963    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lutsey, P. L. Articles by Folsom, A. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lutsey, P. L. Articles by Folsom, A. R. Related Collections Exercise/Physical Activity Nutrition/Food Socioeconomic Factors Immigration Cardiovascular Disease

Pamela L. Lutsey, MPH, Ana V. Diez Roux, MD, PhD, David R. Jacobs, Jr, PhD, Gregory L. Burke, MD, Jane Harman, DVM, PhD, Steven Shea, MD and Aaron R. Folsom, MD, MPH

Pamela L. Lutsey, David R. Jacobs Jr, and Aaron R. Folsom are with the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. David R. Jacobs Jr is also with the Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Ana V. Diez Roux is with the Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Gregory L. Burke is with the Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. Jane Harman is with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD. Steven Shea is with the Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Aaron R. Folsom, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1300 South Second St, Suite 300, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (e-mail: folsom{at}epi.umn.edu).

Objectives. We assessed whether markers of acculturation (birthplace and number of US generations) and socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease—carotid artery plaque, internal carotid intima-media thickness, and albuminuria—in 4 racial/ethnic groups.

Methods. With data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (n = 6716 participants aged 45–84 years) and race-specific binomial regression models, we computed prevalence ratios adjusted for demographics and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Results. The adjusted US- to foreign-born prevalence ratio for carotid plaque was 1.20 (99% confidence interval [CI] = 0.97, 1.39) among Whites, 1.91 (99% CI = 0.94, 2.94) among Chinese, 1.62 (99% CI = 1.28, 2.06) among Blacks, and 1.23 (99% CI = 1.15, 1.31) among Hispanics. Greater carotid plaque prevalence was found among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics with a greater number of generations with US residence (P < .001) and among Whites with less education and among Blacks with lower incomes. Similar associations were observed with intima-media thickness. There was also evidence of an inverse association between albuminuria and SES among Whites and Hispanics.

Conclusions. Greater US acculturation and lower SES were associated with a higher prevalence of carotid plaque and greater intima-media thickness but not with albuminuria. Maintenance of healthful habits among recent immigrants should be encouraged.

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