CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Informants were asked whether they had ever had angina, heart attack, stroke, heart murmur, abnormal heart rhythm, 'other heart trouble' or diabetes diagnosed by a doctor. These conditions are referred to as 'CVD conditions'. High blood pressure is not included in the chart below, which shows age-standardised risk ratios for the prevalence of CVD conditions for men and women.

Pakistani and Bangladeshi men had rates of CVD about 60% to 70% higher than men in the general population, while Chinese men had lower rates (risk ratio 0.63). The picture was similar for women, with Chinese women having lower rates of CVD conditions (0.71) than women in general, while Pakistani (1.45) and Bangladeshi (1.43) women had higher rates. Prevalence of CVD conditions was also higher among Black Caribbean women (1.33).

Source: The Health Survey of England 1999