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Sex differences in risk factors for coronary heart disease: a study in a Brazilian population
V S Castanho1, L S Oliveira, H P Pinheiro
1Dept. of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, Center for Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Campinas São Paulo, Brazil.
Insights
Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors are highly prevalent in Brazil. Women show higher rates of high blood cholesterol and hypertension, potentially explaining higher female CHD mortality.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in Brazil for both sexes.
- Brazil exhibits one of the world's smallest sex differences in CHD mortality due to high rates in women.
- The study investigates sex-based differences in CHD risk factor prevalence in Brazil.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence of CHD risk factors between men and women in Brazil.
- To evaluate the relationships between blood cholesterol and other risk factors.
- To understand the contribution of risk factor distribution to sex-based mortality disparities.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study comparing prevalence of CHD risk factors between sexes.
- Evaluation of risk factors including high blood cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and cigarette smoking.
- Analysis of associations between blood cholesterol and other risk factors (BMI, sex, age, hypertension, physical inactivity).
Main Results:
- High frequencies of all evaluated CHD risk factors were observed in the population.
- High blood cholesterol and hypertension were more prevalent in women than men.
- Hypertension, diabetes, and smoking were equally or more prevalent in pre-menopausal women compared to men; obesity and inactivity were equally prevalent across sexes.
Conclusions:
- The high prevalence of CHD risk factors necessitates urgent control measures.
- Higher or equal prevalence of several risk factors in women may partially explain elevated CHD mortality rates in females.
- Findings highlight the importance of sex-specific strategies for CHD prevention and control in Brazil.
Background:
In Brazil coronary heart disease (CHD) constitutes the most important cause of death in both sexes in all the regions of the country and interestingly, the difference between the sexes in the CHD mortality rates is one of the smallest in the world because of high rates among women. Since a question has been raised about whether or how the incidence of several CHD risk factors differs between the sexes in Brazil the prevalence of various risk factors for CHD such as high blood cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and cigarette smoking was compared between the sexes in a Brazilian population; also the relationships between blood cholesterol and the other risk factors were evaluated.
Results:
The population presented high frequencies of all the risk factors evaluated. High blood cholesterol (CHOL) and hypertension were more prevalent among women as compared to men. Hypertension, diabetes and smoking showed equal or higher prevalence in women in pre-menopausal ages as compared to men. Obesity and physical inactivity were equally prevalent in both sexes respectively in the postmenopausal age group and at all ages. CHOL was associated with BMI, sex, age, hypertension and physical inactivity.
Conclusions:
In this population the high prevalence of the CHD risk factors indicated that there is an urgent need for its control; the higher or equal prevalences of several risk factors in women could in part explain the high rates of mortality from CHD in females as compared to males.