Cardiovascular Disease in the Masai

Abstract

The hypothetical relationship between dietary behavior and the development of atherosclerosis and consequent cardiovascular complications is not well established. While it is widely said that a large intake of animal fat and particularly of saturated fats produces hypercholesterolemia and by its influence atherosclerosis, there are a number of epidemiologic observations which fail to support this relationship (1-4), If this hypothesis were true it would seem necessary that groups of people, who for cultural reasons habitually take large amounts of animal fat would have both hypercholesterolemia and extensive cardiovascular disease. With the intent of examining this matter we have carried out a survey of the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and of levels of serum cholesterol among the Masai of Tanganyika.