Cardiovascular Risk among Older Women in a Havana Health Area
Nurys Bárbara Armas1, Yesenia de la Caridad Hernández, Alfredo F Dueñas
1Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, Havana, Cuba. nurysarmas@infomed.sld.cu.
Insights
Most postmenopausal women aged 60+ in Havana have moderate to high coronary heart disease risk due to factors like physical inactivity and hypertension. Urgent preventive strategies are needed to reduce these cardiovascular disease risks.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality significantly increase in women after menopause.
- Established scoring models, like the Framingham Heart Study score, are used to assess cardiovascular disease risk.
- Understanding risk levels in specific populations, such as older women, is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the level of coronary heart disease risk among women aged 60 years and older.
- To identify prevalent cardiovascular risk factors within this demographic in a specific Havana health catchment area.
- To inform the development of targeted preventive strategies for cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2006 involving 1,082 women aged 60+.
- Participants were selected using single-stage cluster sampling from a defined health catchment area in Havana.
- Data on cardiovascular risk factors were collected and analyzed using absolute frequencies and percentages.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors: physical inactivity (74.9%), hypertension (70.6%), and abdominal obesity (53%).
- Other significant factors included family history of coronary heart disease (41.8%), diabetes mellitus (21.8%), and cigarette smoking (17.2%).
- A substantial majority, 79.3%, of the studied women were categorized as having high- or moderate-risk coronary heart disease.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights a significant burden of cardiovascular disease risk among women aged 60 and older in the surveyed Havana population.
- The high prevalence of modifiable risk factors underscores the urgent need for effective preventive actions.
- Implementing targeted public health initiatives is essential to mitigate cardiovascular disease incidence and improve outcomes in this vulnerable group.
Unlabelled:
Introduction Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality increase in women after menopause. Various scoring models assess qualitative risk of cardiovascular disease. The Framingham Heart Study global risk score is among the most widely used. Objective Determine level of coronary heart disease risk among women aged ≥60 years in a Havana health catchment area (geographic area whose residents are served by the M�rtires del Corynthia Polyclinic, in the Plaza de la Revoluci�n municipality of Havana). Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2006. Universe: all women (3,396) aged ≥60 years in the catchment area, attended at the primary care level by the Polyclinic and 42 neighborhood family doctor-and-nurse offices. Equal probability sample: 1,082 women meeting the inclusion criteria, chosen through single-stage cluster sampling considering a <10% error margin for estimates for this parameter, a 95% confidence interval (CI) and a design effect of 1.5. Absolute frequencies and percentages were calculated to summarize the qualitative data obtained. Results were presented as tables. Results The most common cardiovascular risk factors found in this study were: physical inactivity, 74.9%; hypertension (HTN), 70.6%; abdominal obesity, 53%; reported family history of coronary heart disease (CHD), 41.8%; diabetes mellitus (DM), 21.8%; and cigarette smoking, 17.2%. Scoring according to number of risk factors present in each individual, 79.3% of these women fell into the high- or moderate-risk categories. Conclusion The large number of women categorized as high- or moderate-risk for coronary heart disease in this population emphasizes the need for preventive actions aimed at reducing these figures.
Keywords:
Cardiovascular diseases, vascular diseases, ischemic heart disease, coronary heart disease, postmenopause, woman, aged, risk factors, risk assessment, hypertension, high blood pressure, lifestyle, diabetes mellitus, obesity, abdominal adipose tissue, body mass index, physical inactivity, tobacco use.
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