Patterns in Cardiovascular Risk Factors Stratified by Age and Sex in a Large German Population

Despite growing evidence of sex-specific differences in cardiovascular (CV) disease, sex-specific prevention strategies are lacking.

This study aims to examine CV risk factors according to age and sex in a German working population.

In collaboration with ias PREVENT, a provider of medical checkups for employees of German companies, a data set of 40,704 checkups was evaluated. The cohort was stratified by sex and age into 6 groups: women and men <45 years, between 45 and 55 years, and >55 years, respectively. The study analyzed the distribution of CV risk factors with a focus on sex-specific differences.

The average age of the cohort was 49 years (25% women). The cohort exhibited overall low burden of CV risk factors. The prevalence of hypertension, elevated low-density lipoprotein, and diabetes was 18.4%, 39.5%, and 5.3% in women compared to 30.7%, 58.7%, and 5.7% in men. In the group ages 45 to 55 years old, a higher proportion of women than men smoked. Obesity prevalence was higher in women than in men starting at the age of 50. Diabetes prevalence was higher in women than men under 45 but reversed in men above 55 years.

The study underscores the need for sex- and age-specific CV prevention in the working environment. Participants demonstrated escalating CV risk, particularly with increasing age (45-55 years). This highlights the need for targeted measures for this age group, including the menopausal phase in women.