The study evaluated rates of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged men from Japan, Hawaii and California to eliminate age-related, genetic and gender. The researchers selected these men because the United States had the highest rate of heart disease and Japan the lowest; this group would eliminate most variables, so the focus would be on lifestyle and environmental effects. The findings reflected that heart disease was present more in Japanese-American men than in Japanese men, and more men died from the disease than lived in California, but interestingly, more Japanese men suffer from strokes. The rate of the disease affected men from Japan slowly, but men from California showed higher risks and a more dramatic increase in the disease during the years evaluated; disconnection from the mainland has helped Hawaii perform better than California, but worse than Japan. Men living in California weigh the most, and since height statistics do not vary, this means that California men are the most overweight, and being overweight is the number one cause of cardiovascular disease. Japanese-American men also had higher levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, all of which increase the risk of the disease. The differences between their diets explain the