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Author Spotlight: Assessing the Cardiovascular Profile of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
Published on: September 27, 2024
Prevalence of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Women: Insights From the Houston HeartReach Study
Arjun R Raghuram1,2, Matthew W Segar3, Stephanie Coulter2,3
1School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas.
Insights
Cardiovascular disease risk factors like hypertension and obesity are common in women, varying by age, race, income, and employment. Identifying these disparities can guide targeted community cardiovascular health screenings.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death for women in the U.S.
- Research indicates a link between female demographics and traditional CVD risk factors.
- Understanding modifiable risk factors in women is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in women attending a community screening.
- To analyze how demographic and socioeconomic factors influence the distribution of these risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Houston HeartReach Registry (2011-2019).
- Assessed prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, overweight/obesity, and dyslipidemia.
- Employed Pearson chi-squared tests to compare prevalence across demographic groups.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of hypertension, overweight/obesity, and dyslipidemia observed.
- Older women (≥65) exhibited the highest risk factor rates.
- Significant disparities noted by race, income, and employment status, with clustering of risk factors identified.
Conclusions:
- Cardiometabolic risk factor prevalence is significantly influenced by demographic and socioeconomic factors in women.
- Geographic 'hot spots' of high risk were identified, suggesting areas for targeted interventions.
- Further research is needed to develop predictive models for cardiovascular disease risk in women.
Background:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Past research has highlighted the importance of the relationship between female-specific demographics and traditional risk factors. The present analysis aimed to identify the prevalence of modifiable risk factors in women attending a community cardiovascular health screening.
Methods:
Data collected between 2011 and 2019 were obtained from the Houston HeartReach Registry. Participants were classified as having or not having each of 4 traditional cardiometabolic risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, body mass index indicating overweight or obesity, and dyslipidemia. Differences in prevalence were compared using the Pearson χ2 test.
Results:
Most participants had hypertension, overweight or obesity, and dyslipidemia. Older women (≥65 years) had the highest prevalence of all cardiometabolic risk factors. Black participants had a higher prevalence of hypertension (P = .006) and a lower prevalence of dyslipidemia (P = .009) than non-Black participants. Hispanic participants had a lower prevalence of hypertension (P < .001) and a higher prevalence of overweight or obesity (P = .03) than non-Hispanic participants. Participants in the lowest household income bracket (<$25,000) were more likely to have diabetes (P = .001) and overweight or obesity (P = .004) than participants in the highest income bracket (≥$50,000). Unemployed participants had a higher prevalence of diabetes (P < .001), overweight or obesity (P = .004), and dyslipidemia (P < .001) than employed participants. Comorbidity analysis revealed clustering of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors. Moreover, risk factor hot spots were identified by zip code, which could help select future sites for targeted screening.
Conclusion:
The analysis found that cardiometabolic risk factor prevalence varies with demographic and socioeconomic status. Geographic areas where cardiometabolic risk factor prevalence was highest were also identified. Further participant recruitment and analysis are required to create predictive models of cardiovascular disease risk in women.
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