The mosaic of CVD risk factors – A study on 10,000 Pakistani cardiac patients

Objective

To determine the cardiovascular disease risk factor profile of Pakistani patients.

Material and methods

In this cross sectional study, 10,000 patients with CVD were recruited. This 1 year study was conducted in the outpatient department of Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD), which provides primary, secondary and tertiary cardiac care to patients from all over the country. The CVD risk factors studied included hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, inactivity, eating <5 portions of fruits and/or vegetables per day.

Results and discussion

Of the study participants 73.5% were males while 26.5% were females. Their average age was 53.83 ± 14.18 years and 51.68 ± 15.83 years, respectively. The frequency of premature CVD was 27.2% in males and 49.1% in females. 46.9% males and 77.4% females had abdominal obesity, 15.6% men and 1.9% women being current smokers. Blood cholesterol levels were >200 mg/dl in 10% of all study subjects. In a decreasing order, poor lipid values were seen for HDL, VLDL, TG, cholesterol, LDL and LDL/HDL. Diabetes and hypertension affected 18.5% and 8% study subjects, respectively. Mean BMI was 21.02 kg/m² in men and 22.41 kg/m² in women. 64.5% participants did not take five or more servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day. 66% males and 68% females were physically inactive.

Conclusion

Risk factors in Pakistani patients can be rank ordered as abdominal obesity, eating <5 portions of fruits and/or vegetables per day, HDL, physical inactivity, diabetes, VLDL, TG, smoking, cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, LDL, LDL/HDL and alcohol.