Evidence has established that the distribution and burden of several common chronic diseases among Mexican-Americans differ from that in the general population. These diseases include diabetes (almost exclusively noninsulin dependent diabetes), hypertension, and gallbladder disorders. While progress was made towards an elucidation of their epidemiology within this population, there was a paucity of data regarding other cardiovascular risk factors, most notably, the distribution of lipoproteins and their constituent apoproteins. With regard to the apolipoproteins, there were only minimal data from any population dealing with their distribution and relationships in the general population or pedigrees. This project provided as complete a profile on the distribution of metabolic cardiovascular risk factors as could be claimed for any other study of comparable size and provided baseline values for apo A-I, A-II, B, C-II, C-III and E.