[Health behaviours among men age > 50 years with reference to risk factors cardiovascular diseases]

World Health Organization includes the eight main risk factors, which causes about 61% of cardiovascular deaths. These factors are: tobacco and alcohol use, high blood pressure, high body mass index, abnormal blood lipid levels, high blood glucose, a diet high in saturated fat and low in fruit and vegetable intake and physical inactivity. Thanks to them it's possible to expect probability of illness and its complication. Particularly exposed to cardiovascular morbidity are those patients who have multiple risk factors. The investigated group consisted of 114 male patients, who lived in Poznan. The authors analyzed lifestyle factors (smoking, prophylactic examination, exercise and leisure activities and diet), which were compared with laboratory and diagnostic tests plus selected individual characteristics of respondents. Answers distribution within the group are presented as percentages. The aim of the study was to analyze health behaviors among men age > 50 years related to risk factors cardiovascular diseases. Results shows that most of the study group had overweight or obesity and their daily physical activity was confined only to the work in the garden or walking. There were 33% of men with BMI>30, which increases their risk of heart attack twice. Incidence of hypertension was related to obesity, high blood cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. Vascular interventions occurs more frequently among daily smokers and former smokers. More than half of study group with hypertension stopped smoking because of their diseases. Men who declared healthy lifestyle more frequently perform prophylactic control tests and examination. Mostly three or four risk factors were found among study group. For the men after 50 there should be implemented more prophylactic programs, to encourage lifestyle changes and eliminate risk factors.