Baseline Population Survey Data on the Prevalence of Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease Among Kuwaitis Aged 15 Years and Older

Abstract

There are no baseline population survey data on the prevalence of risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) among normal, healthy Kuwaiti women upon which future interventional studies can be based. We collected data on the prevalence of excessive weight, obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, current smoking and physical inactivity for 7,609 apparently healthy Kuwaitis aged 15 years and older by means of a household survey. Using a structured questionnaire, we collected demographic data from the respondents, measured their body weight and height, and collected blood samples for measurement of glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, and apolipoproteins A1 and B. The prevalence of obesity among adult Kuwaitis was 23.5%. It was higher among women (30.0%) than among men (17.5%). The combined prevalence of obesity and excessive weight in the population was 58% (63.4% among women and 53% among men). Diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia were slightly higher in women than in men (21.8 vs 17.7 and 36.6 vs 30.2% respectively) while hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-C were higher in men than in women (44.1 vs 33.8 and 52.2 vs 21.8% respectively). The prevalence of smoking was significantly higher in men (31.7%) than in women (1.4%), while the prevalence of physical inactivity was higher in women (71.4%) than in men (50.6%). We conclude that Kuwaiti women, like men, have high risk factors for CAD and should receive equal attention in future programs to prevent CAD death among Kuwaitis.