[The cardiovascular risk profile in the Glostrup region, Monica screening II, 1986/87]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
• Public Health Research
• Preventive Cardiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent a significant global health burden.
• Understanding population-specific risk factors is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
• Suburban populations may have unique lifestyle and environmental influences on CVD risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To collect and analyze data on cardiovascular disease risk factors within a defined Danish population.
• To establish reference values for key physiological markers like blood pressure and cholesterol.
• To develop a comprehensive risk profile based on prevalent lifestyle and health indicators.

Main Methods:

• Data collection from 1,504 individuals aged 30, 40, 50, and 60 in the suburban Danish population.
• Measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
• Assay of total serum-cholesterol levels.
• Assessment of lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI).

Main Results:

• Reference values for systolic and diastolic blood pressure were established for the study cohort.
• Reference values for total serum-cholesterol were determined.
• A detailed risk profile was constructed, highlighting factors such as arterial hypertension, total serum-cholesterol > 7.5 mmol/l, daily smoking (≥10 cigarettes), high alcohol intake (≥5 drinks/day), lack of physical exercise, and BMI > 25 kg/m2.

Conclusions:

• The study provides valuable epidemiological data on cardiovascular disease risk factors in a suburban Danish population.
• Identified risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, alcohol, inactivity, obesity) are critical targets for public health interventions.
• The established risk profile can inform targeted prevention programs to mitigate cardiovascular disease incidence.