Inflammation in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Comparison of Black and White Women in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa

Ethnic differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus and associated metabolic risk factors have been shown in both developed and developing countries. This review explores the hypothesis that ethnic differences in the inflammatory response are associated with the disparities in disease risk in black and white women from South Africa, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. Higher inflammatory profiles at the genetic, adipose tissue, and circulating level have been reported in black compared to white women but do not explain the disparity in disease risk between black and white women. Ethnic differences in inflammation and their association with disease risk have been shown to be partly mediated by differences in underlying genetic variation, body fat and its distribution, socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors, as well as their interactions. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.