A comparison of physical and laboratory measures between two Hutterite leute and the rural Saskatchewan population

Can J Public Health. 1994 Sep-Oct;85(5):299-302.

Abstract

This study compares physical, laboratory and anthropometric measurements from each of two groups (leute) of Hutterites (N = 846) with a population of non-Hutterites from rural Saskatchewan (N = 750). Marked interleute differences were observed in the comparative analysis with the non-Hutterite population. Dariusleut males had significantly greater mean diastolic and systolic blood pressures, total cholesterols, LDL cholesterols and Body Mass Indexes (BMI) than non-Hutterites. Compared with non-Hutterite women, the Dariusleut females had significantly greater mean diastolic and systolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterols, BMIs and waist-hip ratios. In contrast, the only significant difference between non-Hutterites and Lehrerleut males was in BMI. Lehrerleut females had significantly greater mean systolic blood pressures, HDL cholesterol levels and BMIs. While the surprising inter-leute differences may be due to subtle variations in lifestyle, the genetic isolation of the groups suggests heredity may offer a more likely explanation for the differences.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Christianity*
  • Ethnicity*
  • Female
  • Gene Pool
  • Humans
  • Hypercholesterolemia / blood
  • Hypercholesterolemia / ethnology*
  • Hypercholesterolemia / etiology
  • Hypertension / diagnosis
  • Hypertension / ethnology*
  • Hypertension / etiology
  • Life Style
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / diagnosis
  • Obesity / ethnology*
  • Obesity / etiology
  • Population Surveillance*
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Rural Population*
  • Saskatchewan / epidemiology