Coronary heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors among people aged 25–65 years, as seen in Romanian primary healthcare

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Patient recruitment and participation.

Table I.  Comparison between study population and non-participants.

Variable	Study population	Non-participants
Gender, no. of women (%)	476 (59.4%)	120 (56.9%)
Age, 25–34	196 (24.5%)	69 (32.7%)
years 35–44	221 (27.6%)	59 (27.9%)
45–54	218 (27.2%)	58 (27.5%)
55–65	166 (20.7%)	25 (11.8%)
Coronary heart disease^1	59 (7.3%)	18 (8.5%)
Total	801	211

¹ For definition, see text.

Bold figures indicate statistically significantly higher prevalence (p value <0.05).

Table II.  Cardiovascular risk factors and their association with coronary heart disease (bivariate analysis).

	Prevalence in absolute numbers (%)		Odds ratio (95% CI)
Risk factor^1	Men (n=325)^2	Women (n=476)^2	Overall (n=801)^2	Overall (n=801)^2
Major risk factors
Diabetes mellitus	7 (2.2)	19 (4.0)	26 (3.2)	11.1 (4.8–25.4)
Obesity	57 (17.5)	113 (23.7)	170 (21.2)	10.6 (4.5–24.8)
Overweight	135 (41.5)	141 (29.6)	276 (34.5)	4.3 (1.8–10.2)
Hypercholesterolaemia —original cut-off 240 mg%	31 (9.6)	67 (14.3)	98 (12.4)	7.7 (4.0–14.9)
—cut-off 190 mg%	149 (45.8)	229 (48.1)	378 (47.2)	2.5 (1.4–4.4)
Hypertension	69 (21.2)	121 (25.4)	190 (23.7)	18.4 (9.3–36.4)
Smoking	160 (49.4)	110 (23.1)	270 (33.8)	2.5 (1.4–4.2)
Other risk variables
Abnormal glucose	76(23.5)	110 (23.1)	186 (23.3)	2.4 (1.4–4.2)
Abnormal waist circumference	94 (28.9)	205 (43.1)	299 (37.3)	4.6 (2.6–8.3)
Abnormal waist/hip ratio	22 (6.8)	245 (51.5)	267 (33.3)	2.7 (1.6–4.7)
High blood pressure	63 (19.4)	85 (17.9)	148 (18.5)	4.6 (2.7–8.0)
Family history of cardiovascular events	50 (15.4)	125 (26.3)	175 (21.8)	0.9 (0.4–1.7)
Family history of hypercholesterolaemia	11 (3.4)	30 (6.3)	41 (5.1)	3.3 (1.4–7.6)
Early menopause	Not applicable	29 (6.1)	Not applicable	3.5 (1.3–9.0)
Lifestyle variables
Lack of physical exercise	139 (42.8)	239 (50.3)	378 (47.3)	2.5 (1.4–4.4)
Unhealthy diet	240 (73.8)	282 (59.4)	522 (65.3)	1.6 (1–2.8)
High alcohol intake	240 (73.8)	59 (12.5)	522 (65.3)	0.8 (0.4–1.5)

¹ For definition of categories, see text.

² Except for cholesterol (overall n=790, men 322, women 468) and glucose (overall n=773, men 313, women 460).

Bold figures indicate highest prevalence in case of a statistically significant gender difference (p value <0.05).

Table III.  Prevalence of coronary heart disease, five major cardiovascular risk factors, and SCORE risk by gender and age group.

		Prevalence, numbers (%)
DIAGNOSIS^*	AGE (YEARS)	Men N = 325	Women N = 476	Total N = 801
Coronary heart disease	25–34	0	0	0
	35–44	4 (4.5%)	2 (1.5%)	6 (2.7%)
	45–54	7 (7.6%)	18 (14.3%)	25 (11.5%)
	55–65	9 (12.2%)	19 (20.7%)	28 (16.9%)
	TOTAL	20 (6.2%)	39 (8.2%)	59 (7.4%)
Diabetes mellitus	25–34	0	0	0
	35–44	1 (1.1%)	2 (1.5%)	3 (1.4%)
	45–54	3 (3.3%)	11 (8.7%)	14 (6.4%)
	55–65	3 (4.1%)	6 (6.5%)	9 (5.4%)
	TOTAL	7 (2.2%)	19 (4%)	26 (3.2%)
Obesity	25–34	8 (11.3%)	9 (7.2%)	17 (8.7%)
	35–44	20 (22.7%)	23 (17.3%)	43 (19.5%)
	45–54	17 (18.5%)	42 (33.3%)	59 (27.1%)
	55–65	12 (16.2%)	39 (42.4%)	51 (30.7%)
	TOTAL	57 (17.5%)	113 (23.7%)	170 (21.2%)
Hypercholesterolaemia	25–34	2 (2.8%)	5 (4%)	7 (3.6%)
(total cholesterol ≥240 mg%)	35–44	10 (11.5%)	6 (4.7%)	16 (17.4%)
	45–54	12 (13.3%)	25 (20.3%)	37 (17.4%)
	55–65	7 (9.5%)	31 (33.7%)	38 (22.9%)
	TOTAL	31 (9.6%)	67 (14.3%)	98 (12.4%)
Hypercholesterolaemia	25–34	21 (29.6%)	35 (28%)	56 (28.6%)
(total cholesterol ≥190 mg%)	35–44	38 (43.2%)	51 (38.3%)	89 (40.3%)
	45–54	43 (46.7%)	79 (62.7%)	122 (56%)
	55–65	47 (63.5%)	64 (69.6%)	111 (66.9%)
	TOTAL	149 (45.8%)	229 (48.1%)	378 (47.2%)
Hypertension	25–34	2 (2.8%)	0	2 (1%)
	35–44	12 (13.6%)	13 (9.8%)	25 (11.3%)
	45–54	26 (28.3%)	49 (38.9%)	75 (34.4%)
	55–65	29 (39.2%)	59 (64.1%)	88 (53%)
	TOTAL	69 (21.2%)	121 (25.4%)	190 (23.7%)
Smoking	25–34	35 (49.3%)	29 (23.2%)	64 (32.7%)
	35–44	44 (50%)	36 (27.1%)	80 (36.2%)
	45–54	49 (53.3%)	29 (23%)	78 (35.8%)
	55–65	32 (43.8%)	16 (17.4%)	48 (29.1%)
	TOTAL	160 (49.4%)	110 (23.1%)	270 (33.8%)
High risk: CHD or DM, or projected SCORE risk ≥5% in non-CHD/DM	25–34	43 (60.5%)	5 (4%)	49 (24.5%)
	35–44	56 (63.6%)	7 (5.3%)	63 (28.5%)
	45–54	71 (77.2%)	34 (27%)	105 (48.2%)
	55–65	58 (78.4%)	40 (43.5%)	98 (59%)
	TOTAL	228 (70.1%)	86 (18.1%)	314 (39.2%)

*Definitions, see text.

Bold figures indicate highest prevalence in case of a statistically significant gender difference (p value < 0.05).

Table IV.  Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors by SCORE risk categories and gender.

	Neither CHD nor DM, risk <5%			Primary prevention: neither CHD nor DM, risk ≥5%			Secondary prevention: CHD or DM
Risk factors*	Male (28.9%)^#	Female (81.9%)^#	Total (60.4%)	Male (63.1%)^#	Female (7.4%)^#	Total (30%)	Male (7.7%)^#	Female (10.3%)^#	Total (9.3%)
SCORE variables
Gender (n)	94	390	484	205	35	240	25	49	74
Mean age (years)	42.3	41.2	41.4	41.5	52.7	45.7	53.3	54.4	54.0
Mean SBP (mmHg)	119	124	123	138.8	161.1	142.1	142.4	149.2	146.9
Mean cholesterol value (mg%)	181	188.9	187.4	194.7	224.8	199.1	201.6	222.2	215.2
Smoking	2 (2.1%)	80 (20.5%)	82 (16.9%)	138 (67.6%)	13 (37.1%)	151 (63.2%)	19 (76%)	17 (34.7%)	36 (38.6%)
Blood pressure
Hypertension	10 (10.6%)	62 (15.9%)	72 (14.9%)	43 (21%)	17 (48.6%)	60 (25%)	16 (64%)	41 (83.7%)	57 (77%)
SBP above target	4 (4.3%)	83 (21.3%)	87 (18%)	101 (49.3%)	31 (88.6%)	132 (55%)	18 (72%)	35 (71.4%)	53 (71.6%)
BP above target	7 (7.4%)	91 (23.3%)	98 (20.2%)	112 (54.6%)	31 (88.6%)	143 (59.6%)	19 (76%)	35 (71.4%)‘	54 (73%)
Cholesterol
Cholesterol above target (≥190 mg%)	30 (31.9%)	164 (42.1%)	194 (40.1%)	105 (51.2%)	29 (82.9%)	134 (55.8%)	14 (56%)	36 (73.5%)	50 (67.6%)
Glucose
Mean glucose (mg%)	92.3	90.9	91.2	92.9	99.6	93.9	101.3	113.2	109.3
Glucose above target	23 (24.5%)	75 (19.2%)	98 (20.2%)	46 (22.4%)	11 (31.4%)	57 (23.8%)	8 (32%)	23 (46.9%)	31 (41.9%)
Weight
Mean BMI (kg/m^2)	25.5	25.4	25.4	26.1	30.1	26.7	28.5	30.8	30.1
Ob esity	14 (14.9%)	67 (17.2%)	81 (16.7%)	36 (17.6%0	16 (45.7%)	52 (21.7%)	7 (28%)	29 (59.2%)	36 (48.6%)
Overweight	35 (37.2%)	116 (29.7%)	151 (31.2%)	85 (41.5%)	12 (34.3%)	97 (40.4%)	14 (56%)	12 (24.5%)	26 (35.1%)
Abnormal waist/hip ratio	22 (23.4%)	145 (37.2%)	167 (34.5%)	56 (27.3%)	23 (65.7%)	79 (32.9%)	15 (60%)	36 (73.5%)	51 (68.9%)
Mean waist circumference (cm)	92.8	84	n.a.	95.2	94.7	n.a.	102.4	96.2	n.a.
Lifestyle factors
Lack of physical exercise	47 (50%)	177 (45.5%)	224 (46.4%)	76 (37.1%)	27 (77.1%)	103 (42.9%)	16 (64%)	34 (69.4%)	50 (67.6%)
Unhealthy diet	60 (63.8%)	232 (59.6%)	292 (60.5%)	165 (80.5%)	27 (77.1%)	192 (80%)	14 (56%)	23 (46.9%)	37 (50%)
High alcohol intake	31 (33%)	48 (12.4%)	79 (16.4%)	103 (50.5%)	5 (14.6%)	108 (45.4%)	10 (40%)	6 (12.2%)	16 (21.6%)

*For definitions, see text.

^#Within gender.

Bold figures indicate the gender with the highest prevalence in case of a statistically significant difference (p value <0.05).