Prevalence of heart attack and stroke and associated risk factors among Inuit in Canada: A comparison with the general Canadian population.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional comparative survey study
PubMed 30578133 · doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.12.003
What was done
Cardiovascular disease outcomes and risk factors were compared between 2,070 Inuit adults aged 20–79 (Inuit Health Survey, 2007–2008) and 3,464 general Canadian adults aged 20–79 (Canadian Health Measures Survey, Cycle 1 2007–2009 and Cycle 3 2012–2013). Age-standardized and sex- and age-specific (20–39, 40–59, 60–79) prevalence estimates were calculated using the Canadian Health Measures Survey as the reference population.
What was found
Inuit individuals showed higher prevalence of heart attack in females (3.1% vs. 1.8%), stroke in males (2.1% vs. 0.8%) and females (2.2% vs. 1.0%), diabetes in elderly females (14.6% vs. 9.0%), obesity in females (35.8% vs. 24.2%), and hypertension in young males (12.2% vs. 2.5%) and young females (7.5% vs. 2.5%). However, hyperlipidemia prevalence was lower among Inuit (29.0% vs. 46.5% in males; 28.4% vs. 35.2% in females). Inuit also had higher exposures to metals and persistent organic pollutants.
Why it matters
This study provides evidence challenging the historical assumption that cardiovascular disease is rare among Inuit due to marine diets, highlighting elevated burdens of stroke, hypertension, and female myocardial infarction compared to the general Canadian population.
Limits
The cross-sectional design precludes establishing causality or temporal sequences between exposures, diet, and outcomes. Data collection periods for the comparator groups differed across surveys (2007–2008 vs. 2007–2013), and the abstract reports no confidence intervals or statistical test values.
Cited by
- contradicts 50% of modern Inuit populations transitioning to Western diets suffer from cancer, dementia, and diabetes.