It is interesting to note that almost 35 years ago Alan
Charters described a high incidence of CHD among
expatriate Indians in Kenya and he believed that the
ingestion of animal fat was not an important aetiologic
factor"-'*. He also found that vegetarians were not
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Tropical Doctor, October 1997 217
protected by a high intake of unsaturated fatty acids.
Recently, some workers have linked the high incidence
of CHD in ~~i~~ Indians to abdominal obesity and
insulin resistancei3. The exact for the high and
increasing incidence of CHD among Indians remains
elusive. Other risk factors such as genetic factors (ACE
gene), antioxidant status, changes in the life sty1e and
stress levels might be contributing to the high incidence
of CHD in South Omd