Risk factors for cerebrovascular disease according to the screening of middle-aged population of Ulyanovsk

Abstract

The planning and assessment of therapeutic and preventivemeasures aimed at decreasing the burden of cardiovascular diseases(CVD) are impossible without reliable information concerningbasic epidemiologic characteristics and risk factors(RF) for these disorders. This study aimed at investigating theprevalence of risk factors for CVD among people aged 4059years old. As a part of a general population screening 157 malesand 343 females underwent standardized examination. Dataobtained from the study suggest the following prevalence of RF:positive family history of cardiovascular diseases 17%, hypertension 47%, ischemic heart disease 9%, diabetes 3.4%,atrial fibrillation 1.8%, transient ischemic attacks 1.4%,hypertensive cerebral crisis 5.6%. Behavioural risk factors,such as smoking, alcohol abuse and low physical activity, werealso assessed. Differences in frequency of risk factors detectiondepending on sex, age and education have been furthermoredemonstrated. These data substantiate the necessity of improvingthe effectiveness of preventive measures among people aged4059 years old, and might be used for planning and assessmentof the therapeutic and preventive care.

Keywords

• risk factors
• cardiovascular diseases
• epidemiology
• hypertension
• stroke
• transient ischemic attack
• hypertensive emergency
• preventive care