African-American men are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, but have fewer cases of coronary obstruction than white men

UPI Wire:

"Our findings suggest the need for greater understanding of factors influencing coronary events in diverse populations," said Medical College of Wisconsin Professor Jeffrey Whittle, who led the study.

"Overall, I believe that as we better understand the mechanism of disease, we'll see that different factors are important for different individuals."

Scientists at five U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers participated in the study, which compared the coronary anatomy of 311 black and white veterans who had coronary angiography following a positive nuclear perfusion imaging study.

Prior to an angiogram or X-ray examination, the patients' doctors were asked to estimate the probability of coronary obstruction. On average the estimated likelihood of CAD in white and African-American males was similar -- 83 percent vs. 79.5 percent probability, respectively. But researchers said when angiography results were evaluated, white men had more severe obstructions.

Fewer, less severe coronary obstructions appear in African American than white men