Aortic and coronary atherosclerosis in the three racial groups in Cape Town.

I NTERRACIAL differences in the prevaleniee of coronary heart disease in various parts of the world have aroused great interest in recent years. Amon-g the manv studies of the multiracial population of the Afriean coiitinent have beeii several indicating a considerable differenee in the iueidence of the elinical manifestations of coronary vascular disease in the 3 racial groups constituting the population of Cape Town. Studies on patients attending the Groote Schuur Hospital have shown that electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial infaretion and ischemic heart disease is very uneommon in the Bantu and more common in the whites than in the Cape Coloured.1 2 A low in-cidence of inyoeardial infaretioni in a partieular racial group suggests but does not necessarily prove that atheroselerosis is less severe in that group, and the results of clinical studies do not necessarily refleet the frequency and severity of subelinical atherosclerosis. This study is an attempt to see if there are comparable differences in the ineidenee and severity of atherosclerosis at autopsy. The socioecononmie and dietary background of the 3 racial groups in Cape Town has been discussed by Bronte-Stewart et al.3 The Bantu usually occupy the lowest socioeconomic plane, whereas the Cape Coloured form an intermediate group between the Bantu and whites.