Skip to main content

Blood Cholesterol

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health

Of the estimated 214 million migrants in the world today, the USA has the largest number of international migrants. The dynamic concept of migration has evolved and gradually changed over time, leading to significant challenges to the existing political and healthcare systems of developed countries.

These challenges, which are often incongruous with the immigrant’s vision and traditional values, range from poor access to quality preventive care to lack of understanding of the healthcare system. Despite the concept of the “healthy migrant effect,” these barriers have predisposed immigrants to practice behaviors that lead to the early development of disease and disease risk factors like elevated cholesterol.

Cholesterol and triglycerides are substances in the bloodstream required for physiological functions such as metabolism, cell membrane permeability, and hormone synthesis. High cholesterol and triglycerides, broadly termed “hyperlipidemia,” are important risk factors for...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,100.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Suggested Readings

  • American Heart Association. (2002). Third report of the national cholesterol education program (NCEP) expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) final report. Circulation, 106, 3143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egan, M., Tannahill, C., Petticrew, M., & Thomas, S. (2008). Psychosocial risk factors in home and community settings and their associations with population health and health inequalities: A systematic meta-review. BMC Public Health, 8, 239.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gadd, M., Sundquist, J., Johansson, S. E., & Wandell, P. (2005). Do immigrants have an increased prevalence of unhealthy behaviors and risk factors for coronary heart disease? European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 12(6), 535–541.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, P. A., & Khokhar, S. (2008). Changing dietary habits of ethnic groups in Europe and implications for health. Nutrition Reviews, 66(4), 203–215.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goel, M. S., McCarthy, E. P., Phillips, R. S., & Wee, C. C. (2004). Obesity among U.S. immigrant subgroups by duration of residence. Journal of the American Medical Association, 292(23), 2860–2867.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grundy, S., Cleeman, J. I., Daniels, S. R., Donato, K. A., Eckel, R. H., Franklin, B. A., et al. (2005). Diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome. An American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Scientific Statement. Circulation, 112(17), 2735–2752.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gutierrez-Fisac, J. L., Marin-Guerrero, A., Regidor, E., Guallar-Castillon, P., Banegas, J. R., & Rodriguez-Artalejo, F. (2010). Length of residence and obesity among immigrants in Spain. Public Health Nutrition, 13(10), 1593–1598.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lutsey, P. L., Diez Roux, A. V., Jacobs, D. R., Jr., Burke, G. L., Harman, J., Shea, S., & Folsom, A. R. (2008). Associations of acculturation and socioeconomic status with subclinical cardiovascular disease in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. American Journal of Public Health, 98(11), 1963–1970.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Misra, R., Patel, T., Kotha, P., Raji, A., Ganda, O., Banerji, M., Shah, V., Vijay, K., Mudaliar, S., Iyer, D., & Balasubramanyam, A. (2010). Prevalence of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk factors in U.S. Asian Indians: Results from a national study. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications, 24(3), 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poulter, N. R., Caulfield, M., Feder, G., & Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial. (2001). Ethnic variations in response to a statin (EVIREST). Journal of Human Hypertension, 15(Suppl 1), S87–S89.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Suggested Resources

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this entry

Cite this entry

Jaranilla, J., Kottke, T.E. (2012). Blood Cholesterol. In: Loue, S., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_84

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_84

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-5655-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-5659-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics