The purpose of the Phase I exam was to measure the extent of heart disease and heart disease risk factors among the three SHS centers.Â
The Phase I exam was conducted between 1989 and 1991. 4549 tribal members, ages 45-74 years of age (62% of the total population ages 45-74 yrs) were seen. In the Phase I examination, medical history, family history of related illness, diet, alcohol and tobacco consumption, physical activity, degree of acculturation, and socioeconomic status of the participants were assessed in personal interviews. The physical examination included measurements of body fat, body circumferences, and blood pressure, an examination of the heart and lungs, an evaluation of peripheral vascular disease, and a 12-lead resting electrocardiogram (ECG). Laboratory measurements in the baseline exam included fasting and post-load glucose and fasting insulin, fasting lipids, apoproteins B and AI, apo E phenotype, fibrinogen, Lp(a), LDL size, Gm allotype, and glycated hemoglobin. Measures were also made of urinary creatinine and urinary albumin, and some blood samples were frozen and stored for future analysis.