Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors among Hungarian university students in Budapest

The lack of data regarding cardiovascular risk factors among university students in Hungary prompted us to undertake a cross-sectional pilot study in students at Semmelweis University, Budapest.

A total of 264 students (78 males, mean age 21.4+/-2.6 years, and 186 females, mean age 21.2+/-2.6 years) participated in the study. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure and serum lipid parameters were investigated. The relationship between body mass index and cardiovascular disease risk factors were analyzed.

The occurrence of overweight and abdominal obesity was significantly higher in the male group. The mean serum lipid values were within the acceptable range for both genders; however, in a significantly greater number of male than female students the HDL-cholesterol concentration (<1 mmol/l) was in the low range. High lipoprotein(a) values were seen in 33% of the male and 22.6% of the female students. In both groups of students the body mass index exhibited a positive correlation with waist circumference, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (p<0.01), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In the female students there was an inverse correlation between body mass index and HDL-cholesterol concentrations.

The anthropometric and lipid parameters of the student population studied were more favorable than those for an age-matched Hungarian youth population. Nevertheless, the higher occurrence of elevated blood pressure, overweight, abdominal obesity, lower HDL-cholesterol in the male group should be regarded as a warning sign, all the more since their diet was imbalanced and their knowledge in this field was incomplete. The results of our preliminary study point out the importance of teaching nutrition more efficiently, not only during university training but also at an earlier age.