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Blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease in Thailand
Panrasri Khonputsa1, J Lennert Veerman2, Prin Vathesatogkit3
1The Setting Priorities using Information on Cost-Effectiveness Project, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi Thailand; The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Brisbane, QLD Australia.
Insights
Systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol significantly increase risks for ischaemic heart disease and stroke in Thailand. These associations are comparable to those found in other global populations, highlighting universal risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Established associations between hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Limited understanding of ethnic and regional variations in these CVD risk factor associations.
- Need to assess risk factor contributions in diverse populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the impact of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and total cholesterol (TC) on ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke risk within the Thai population.
- To compare these associations with findings from other global regions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from a Thai cohort study (2702 males, 797 females, aged 35-54 at baseline).
- Utilized Cox Proportional Hazards Models to assess relative risks (RRs) of IHD and stroke.
- Stratified analyses by age groups (30-44, 45-59, 60-69 years) at the time of event over 17 years of follow-up.
Main Results:
- A 1 mmol/l increase in TC was linked to a fivefold higher IHD risk in the 30-44 age group.
- SBP increases showed significant associations with IHD and stroke risk across older age groups (45-59 and 60-69 years).
- Specific RRs for SBP increases were 1.31-1.46 for IHD and 1.40-1.85 for stroke, depending on age.
Conclusions:
- The observed increases in IHD and stroke risks associated with SBP and TC in Thailand are comparable to those reported in Asia Pacific and Western populations.
- These findings underscore the universal nature of these cardiovascular risk factors across different ethnicities and regions.
Background:
Although associations between risk factors such as hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are well-established it is not known to what extent these associations are similar in people from different ethnicities or regions. This study aims to measure the contributions of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and total cholesterol (TC) to ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke in the Thai population.
Methods And Results:
Data from a Thai cohort study were used for analyses. Participants were 2702 males and 797 females aged between 35 and 54 years at the start of study in 1985. Cox Proportional Hazards Models were used to assess RRs of IHD or stroke associated with SBP or TC stratified by age at the time of an event of 30-44, 45-59, and 60-69 years. During the 17 years of follow-up, 96 IHD (40 non-fatal, 56 fatal), 69 strokes (32 non-fatal and 37 fatal) occurred. Each 1 mmol/l increase in TC was associated with a fivefold increase in IHD risk in people aged 30-44 years, but not with significant increase in stroke risk in any age group. The RRs (95% CIs) of IHD per 10 mm Hg increase in SBP were 1.31 (1.04 to 1.64) and 1.46 (1.15 to 1.87), and of stroke, 1.40 (1.10 to 1.79) and 1.85 (1.40 to 2.45) in people aged 45-59 and 60-69 years, respectively.
Conclusions:
Increases in IHD and stroke risks associated with these two risk factors observed in Thailand are comparable with those in the Asia Pacific and western populations.
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