W NGATCHOU¹, D LEMOGOUM¹, C MÉLOT , MSCIBIOSTAT², V  GUIMFACQ MD⁴, P  VAN DE BORNE¹, M HERMANS³, M  LEEMAN¹.

¹ Hypertension Clinic. Department of Cardiology. Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

² Department of Emergency Medicine, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

³ Department of Diabetology, Saint Luc University Hospital, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.

⁴ Department of Cardiology, Ixelles Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

Corresponding author: William Ngatchou, MD

Department of Cardiology

ULB-Erasme Hospital. Brussels (Belgium)

Phone: +32-2-555.39.07.

Fax: +32-2-555.67.13

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Background: Pygmies living in Central African rainforest with a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle have a low incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Because of progressive loss of their traditional homeland, some Pygmies have migrated to urban areas and adopt some of the Bantu habits such as increased salt consumption and settled way of life. Our hypothesis was that migrant Pygmies present with hemodynamic and metabolic characteristics different from those of traditional Pygmies and possibly closer to those of Bantu farmers.

Patients and methods: The study included 155 Pygmies (99 traditionals and 56 migrants) and 166 Bantus. Peripheral and central hemodynamics, pulse wave velocity (Complior®) and aortic augmentation index (Sphygmocor®) were measured, as well as the lipid profile.

Results: compared to Bantus, Pygmies had a lower height, weight, waist girth, hip girth, peripheral and central blood pressure, total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B 100 levels, sodium urinary excretion, and a lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome; had higher aortic augmentation index, triglyceride levels, potassium urinary excretion; and had comparable pulse wave velocity than migrants pygmies. Compared to traditional Pygmies, migrant Pygmies were taller, had a lower waist/height ratio, central systolic, diastolic ad mean arterial blood pressure; and had a higher pulse wave velocity and apolipoprotein B100 levels. In the whole study population, multivariable analysis revealed that pulse wave velocity was independently associated with age, gender, BMI, mean arterial pressure and total cholesterol whereas aortic augmentation index was independently associated with gender, age, waist girth, hip girth, heart rhythm, peripheral arterial pressure and LDL cholesterol levels.

Conclusion: Pygmies displayed a more favorable hemodynamic and metabolic profile than Bantus farmers. Despite limited effects of migration on anthropomorphic aspects and lipid profile, migrant pygmies exhibited higher pulse wave velocity suggesting an increase of arteriosclerosis risk as compared to traditional Pygmies.