Latinos from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic (referred to as Caribbean Latinos) are a culturally and genetically distinct sub- population who are at risk for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and its complications. The Caribbean Latino diet likely contributes to hyperglycemia and cardiovascular (CV) risk due to cultural behaviors that result in increased intake of fat. We have documented the presence of increased diet-related CV risk factors in an urban group of Caribbean Latinos with diabetes living in Boston, MA. In response, we have designed, modified and implemented a culturally sensitive, multidisciplinary program to decrease total dietary fat and percent calories from saturated fat. Intervention program subjects meet weekly for 14 weeks and then every other week for 14 weeks. We propose to examine baseline relationships and document the effectiveness of the program at follow-up on specific dietary, metabolic and behavioral parameters. In addition, we believe a culturally sensitive multidisciplinary approach such as ours may serve as a template for CV risk reduction in other minority populations at risk.
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