From arterial ageing to cardiovascular disease

Although cardiovascular disease is one of the most prevalent and studied diseases in high-income countries, its aetiology has not been fully unveiled. Study of its pathophysiology in other regions will help develop a greater understanding of the disease. Coronary atherosclerosis in indigenous South American Tsimane: a cross-sectional cohort studyDespite a high infectious inflammatory burden, the Tsimane, a forager-horticulturalist population of the Bolivian Amazon with few coronary artery disease risk factors, have the lowest reported levels of coronary artery disease of any population recorded to date. These findings suggest that coronary atherosclerosis can be avoided in most people by achieving a lifetime with very low LDL, low blood pressure, low glucose, normal body-mass index, no smoking, and plenty of physical activity. The relative contributions of each are still to be determined. Full-Text PDF