Plasma Lipids and Proteins and their Relationship to Coronary Disease among Navajo Indians

Abstract

Coronary disease is rare among the Navajo Indians. Their plasma proteins and lipids differ from those of the population of Cleveland in that albumin is low normal and α- and γ-globulin elevated; total cholesterol was much lower. Since the diet and living habits are not strikingly different from those of the control group, it is suggested that heredity, in this case, is the most likely explanation for the low incidence of coronary disease and low level of cholesterol. Neither in the control nor Navajo group did mean serum total cholesterol rise with age.