Cardiovascular Diseases Risk Prediction Using the Framingham Risk Score

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the world’s most common cause of death. The Framingham risk score (FRS) is the most commonly used method for CVD risk assessment. Low-risk individuals have 10% or less coronary heart diseases (CHD) risk at 10 years, 10-20% have intermediate risk and 20% or more have high risk. Aim of Work: To estimate the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases over next ten years among the administrativestaff at Zagazig University, Egypt. Material and Methods: A structured questionnaire was used to get data about socio demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements was done, laboratory investigations to measurefasting and post brandial blood sugar and lipid profile. The Framingham risk score (FRS) was calculated by using information on age, gender, smoking ,diabetes mellitus (DM), systolic blood pressure , treatment for hypertension, and total blood cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein levels for everysubject. Results: About 55% of the studied sample were males and 44.8%were females, the overall prevalence of systolic hypertension was 45.7% ,36.2% had a positive family history of CVD , 25% were physically active( the majority of them were males),21.5% were diabetic, 63.7% had highblood cholesterol,55.1% had central obesity,68.1% were overweight orobese. FRS mean for males was higher as compared to females (14.3±7.1and11.9±5.8 respectively). Participants with high CVR risk were mainlyinactive, smokers, with positive family history, diabetics, hypertensive,with high blood cholesterol level, high density lipoprotein and with centralobesity .A statistically significant positive correlation was observed betweenFRS and age, cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood glucose ,weight ,waist circumference and body mass index(BMI) Conclusion: About 42%of our studied subjects were at low anticipated 10-year CVD risk, 30% were at moderate risk, and 28% of them were at high risk .The most significantrisk factors were male gender ,smoking, physical inactivity , hypertension,diabetes mellitus, obesity, abdominal obesity , high levels of total cholesteroland low HDL-cholesterol level in addition to positive family history . CVDis a preventable public health issue; most of its risk factors are modifiable.