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WHO MONICA Project: risk factors.
1Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Abteilung für Sozialmedizin und Epidemiologie, Neuherberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
International Journal of Epidemiology
|January 1, 1989
Summary
The World Health Organization MONICA Project reveals significant global variation in cardiovascular disease risk factors like smoking and blood pressure. Most populations surveyed had high levels of these risk factors, indicating a minority with low risk.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a major global health burden.
- Understanding trends and determinants of CVD mortality and morbidity is crucial for public health interventions.
- The World Health Organization MONICA (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) Project was established to address these needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease mortality.
- To assess coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease morbidity.
- To evaluate the relationship between CVD trends and changes in known risk factors across diverse international populations.
Main Methods:
- Conducted baseline population surveys in 39 collaborative centers across 26 countries.
- Utilized standardized methodologies to enable robust cross-sectional comparisons.
- Collected data on smoking prevalence, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), hypertension prevalence, and serum total cholesterol.
Main Results:
- Significant variability observed in smoking rates (men: 34-62%, women: 3-52%) and blood pressure levels (SBP: 121-145 mmHg men, 117-143 mmHg women; DBP: 74-91 mmHg men, 72-89 mmHg women).
- Hypertension prevalence varied widely (men: 8.4-45.3%, women: 12.6-40.5%).
- Serum total cholesterol levels also showed variation (men: 4.1-6.4 mmol/l, women: 4.2-6.4 mmol/l).
Conclusions:
- There is substantial heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease risk-factor profiles among the World Health Organization MONICA Project populations.
- Populations with a low prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors were found to be in the minority.
- These findings underscore the widespread challenge of managing cardiovascular risk factors globally.