Abstract
In Syria, high-Sensitive C-Reactive (hsCRP), folate, and, other health risk data in young women are limited. This cross-sectional study evaluates hsCRP and folate levels along with anthropometric characteristics, lifestyle factors and some biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in healthy female students (n = 207, 18–25 years old). Among participants, hsCRP level was at average or high risk of CVD in 20.7% and 2.5% respectively and it was significantly higher in participants who had high body mass index (BMI) (Nonparametric statistical tests, p value < 0.05). Unexpectedly, it did not vary significantly between smokers and nonsmokers. And, it correlated positively with anthropometric and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) measurements. While folate level was low in 3.4% of participants, no association between hsCRP and folate levels was found. Finally, low hemoglobin level and habit of waterpipe smoking are spreading; and, sport practicing is shrinking. After reviewing similar works, this study suggests that the possible correlation between hsCRP and folate could be displayed in patients older than 30 years. Also, the marked decrease in hemoglobin level needs more attention. Finally, young females in Syria are advised to consider a lifestyle free of smoking and packed with physical activity.
Highlights
Even though cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors tend to track from childhood into adulthood13, lots of studies on CVD risk ignore young people
All variables had normal distribution except for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), High sensitive CRP (hsCRP), and folate results which were skewed to low levels and mean red cell hemoglobin (MCH) was twisted to high levels
Similar to our preceding study14, the correlations of hsCRP along with anthropometric measurements, physical activity, and, hematological biomarkers were present; such as the significant influence of body mass index (BMI) on hsCRP level, and the absence of the effect of smoking on hsCRP level; the present study shows that sport habits did not affect the hsCRP level and 23.2% of female participants had a hsCRP level at average or high risk of CVD which was insignificantly less than the 31.7% of male participants reported in our previous study14
Summary
Even though CVD risk factors tend to track from childhood into adulthood, lots of studies on CVD risk ignore young people. We were interested in female students with the same range of ages to observe the www.nature.com/scientificreports association between Mediterranean diet patterns along with some of CVD risk factors, excluding hsCRP15. This age category has equal numbers of males and females, and, presents around 17% of the population in Syria. Considering the importance of folate in females at childbearing age and to examine the aforementioned effect of folate using hsCRP as a CVD risk marker in healthy young females, our aim of the present work was to investigate, in female students (18–25 years), the folate and hsCRP levels and their correlations with anthropometric measurements, life style, hemoglobin, some of the hematological inflammation biomarkers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hematocrit (HCT), and, some blood components that may interfere in inflammation process such as white blood cells (WBC) and platelets. We discussed similar studies, and compared them with our present work
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