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Cardiovascular risk factors among high-risk individuals attending the general practice at king Abdulaziz University
Ranya A Ghamri1, Nada S Alzahrani2, Amal M Alharthi2
1Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box: 42806, Jeddah, 21551, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. raghamri@kau.edu.sa.
Insights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death globally. This study in Jeddah, KSA, found women had more CVD risk factors, highlighting the need for gender-specific prevention strategies to reduce disease burden.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and a significant public health concern in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
- Primary prevention of CVD is crucial, with a focus on identifying and managing extrinsic risk factors in high-risk populations.
- This study addresses the prevalence of CVD risk factors in a general practice setting in Jeddah, KSA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the prevalence of extrinsic risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
- To investigate CVD risk factors in a high-risk population attending general practice in Jeddah, KSA.
- To identify potential gender differences in CVD risk factor prevalence.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, KSA.
- The study included 250 high-risk individuals on lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, or antidiabetes treatments without established CVD.
- A questionnaire adapted from the EUROASPIRE III study was used for data collection.
Main Results:
- The study population (80.0% female) exhibited high prevalence of hypertension (72%), dyslipidemia (61.2%), and diabetes mellitus (approx. two-thirds).
- Obesity (mean waist circumference 101.6 cm), unhealthy diet (54.8%), and physical inactivity (52.0%) were prevalent.
- Women showed significantly higher prevalence of dyslipidemia, unhealthy diet, overweight, and high blood cholesterol compared to men.
Conclusions:
- Women in this KSA sample were more likely to have high-risk CVD factors than men.
- Findings suggest a need for gender-specific CVD prevention programs in KSA.
- Targeted interventions are essential to reduce preventable CVD morbidity and mortality.
Background:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of death worldwide, accounting for 31.0% of all deaths and more than 18 million deaths annually. The 2008 World Health Report indicated that 144 (35%) of the 413 deaths per 100,000 in 2002 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were due to CVD. Primary prevention is an important focus of most of the cardiovascular prevention guidelines around the world. In this study, we aimed to describe the prevalence of extrinsic risk factors for CVDs in a high-risk population attending general practice in Jeddah, KSA.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional survey at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah. Patients started on lipid-lowering and/or antihypertensive and/or antidiabetes treatments without a history of established cardiovascular disease were interviewed. The questionnaire was adopted from the EUROASPIRE III study.
Results:
Two hundred and fifty high-risk individuals (80.0% female) were interviewed. Overall, 72% of the patients had been diagnosed with hypertension, 61.2% of patients had dyslipidemia, and approximately two-thirds of patients had diabetes mellitus. Most of the patients (88%) were non-smokers. The mean waist circumference of patients was 101.6 ± 14.1 cm, which suggests most were clinically obese. About 54.8% of the patients followed an unhealthy diet and 52.0% were physically inactive. There were significant differences between women and men in relation to dyslipidemia (p = 0.007), unhealthy diet (p = 0.034), being overweight (p = 0.018), and high blood cholesterol (p = 0.002). We observed significantly greater prevalence of hypertension (p = 0.073), unhealthy diet (p = 0.015), being overweight (p = 0.018), and high blood cholesterol (p = 0.000) in those patients with dyslipidemia.
Conclusion:
Our study presents novel findings in the KSA. Women were more likely to have high-risk CVD risk factors compared with their male counterparts in this sample. Gender-specific prevention programs in the KSA should be considered to more appropriately target at-risk individuals, to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality associated with CVDs.
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