Contribution of population surveys to the study of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in Greenland

Two population surveys with focus on cardiovascular disease and diabetes were carried out among the Greenland Inuit in 1993-94 and 1999-2001. The number of participants was 264 (1993-94 study) and 2056 (1999-2001 survey) Inuit living in Denmark, towns in Greenland, and villages. Compared with the general population of Denmark, the Inuit had a high consumption of marine food, but regional and demographic variation was marked. Smoking prevalence was high, being approximately 70% among adults in 1999-2001. Blood pressure was lower than in Denmark and the serum lipid profile was healthier (high HDL cholesterol and low triglyceride). The risk factor pattern is consistent with neither an increased, nor a decreased cardiovascular risk profile. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, and to establish causal links between traditional risk factors and disease in this non-European population. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2003; 62(4):331-342) Keywords: cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes, Greenland, Inuit