IntroductionDiabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) (coronary artery disease, heart attack, and angina pectoris), and chronic lung disease (emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are major causes of death in the United States. The objective of this study was to assess racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of these conditions as cause of death among people aged 60 to 79 years with one or more of these conditions.MethodsWe used data on the prevalence of major chronic conditions from the National Health Interview Survey on 56,290 adults aged 60 to 79 years who reported having any of the chronic conditions assessed in the National Health Interview Survey for 2006 through 2014. We compared trends with age for 11 single and multiple conditions. Analyses employed multinomial logistic regression models.ResultsHispanics and non-Hispanic blacks had the greatest prevalence of diabetes, and non-Hispanic whites had the greatest prevalence of cancer and chronic lung disease. The prevalence of multiple chronic diseases in an individual varied less by race/ethnicity. An exception was the prevalence of having both diabetes and CVD, which was higher among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks than non-Hispanic whites. Non-Hispanic blacks aged 65 years and 75 years had higher odds of having diabetes and cancer than non-Hispanic whites at the same ages. Hispanics had lower odds of having CVD with cancer or chronic lung disease than non-Hispanic whites. Women had a lower age-specific prevalence than men for most of the 11 single and multiple conditions. Most chronic diseases showed an inverse relationship with education and a higher prevalence in the South than in other regions.ConclusionStrong racial/ethnic differences exist in the prevalence of single chronic conditions, but differences are lower for prevalence of multiple conditions. Comparing races/ethnicities, the same disease dyads and triads may occur more often in different orders.

The results across studies were inconsistent, justifying the need for further research.

Clinical Trials.gov number: NCT01044862.

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Objectives Guatemala is experiencing a nutritional and lifestyle transition. While chronic malnutrition is prevalent, overweight, obesity and chronic diseases have increased substantially in the country. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the associated cardiovascular risk factors in the pre-adolescent Guatemalan population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 302 Guatemalan children (8–13 years old) attending public and private schools in the Municipality of Chimaltenango. Demographic data and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were collected. A blood sample was taken after an 8-hour overnight fast and analyzed for glucose, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The data were analyzed to identify factors associated with metabolic syndrome and with its components. Results The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the study population was 2.0%. However, approximately 54% of the children had at least one component of metabolic syndrome, while none had four or five of the components. The three most prevalent risk factors were high triglycerides (43.4%), low HDL cholesterol (17.2%) and obesity (12.3%). Boys were more likely to be obese than girls and rural children were more likely to have higher triglyceride levels than urban children. Conclusions Although the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is low, the fact that majority of the children already have at least one component of metabolic syndrome is cause for concern since components of metabolic syndrome can continue into adulthood and increase the risk for chronic diseases later in life. Therefore, immediate action should be taken to address the problem.