Lifestyle modifies obesity-associated risk of cardiovascular disease in a genetically homogeneous population

BACKGROUND: The association between obesity and cardiovascular disease risk differs across populations. Whether such differences in obesity-related risk factors exist within population groups of the same genetic origin but with differences in lifestyle remains to be determined.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to analyze whether obesity was associated with the same degree of metabolic disturbances in 2 groups of genetically homogeneous Inuit who were exposed to considerable differences in lifestyle.

DESIGN: We studied obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a cross-sectional population survey of 2311 Inuit living in Denmark (n = 995) or Greenland (n = 1316). The participants received an oral-glucose-tolerance test. Blood tests were supplemented by structured interviews and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements.

RESULTS: The trend in the association between obesity and metabolic effects was not significantly different in the Inuit populations, but the values of several risk factors were significantly different. At any given level of obesity, Inuit residents in Greenland had lower blood pressure and lower concentrations of triacylglycerol and postchallenge plasma glucose and insulin than did the Inuit migrants in Denmark. The trend in the association with obesity categories was different only for HDL cholesterol, with higher concentrations observed in women Inuit migrants in Denmark than in women Inuit residents in Greenland.

CONCLUSIONS: The health risk associated with obesity clearly varies within groups of Inuit living in Greenland and Inuit migrants living in Denmark. The findings indicate that lifestyle factors modify the cardiovascular disease risk associated with obesity.