Serum lipids, dietary factors and ischemic heart disease.

cholesterol levels are lower in countries where the incidence of ischemic heart disease is lower than in those where it is higher; also that serum cholesterol levels are lower in people consuming largely oils containing small amounts of unsaturated fatty acids than those eating largely saturated fats. (For references see review by Begg (1).) On the other hand, there are several reports contrary to these findings. Walker and Arvidsson (2) found no significant difference between the Bantus on higher fat diet compared with the Bantus on their usual low fat diets. Our own investigadons showed that the occurrence rates of acute myocardial infarction were seven times higher in the South Indians as compared with the North Indians, even though the North Indians consumed nine times more fat, most of which was animal fat derived from milk and ghee, with a preponderance of saturated fatty acids (3). The Albany-Afro-Asian team (4) and the Vanderbilt team (5), in fact, found much lower serum lipid values and an immunity to ischemic heart disease in the Samburu tribe in Kenya and the milkand meateating Masai of Tanganyika than those in corresponding Americans even though the fat content of their diet would seem to