Evaluation of Cardiovascular Diseases Risk in the Iranian Population

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the leading causes of death and morbidity around the world. Risk score assessment can assist in anticipating a person's CVD risk over the next five years. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the risk of CVDs in the general Iranian population. Methods: This study was conducted in September 2020, and 5324 participants aged 35 to 74 years were registered from 95 metro stations throughout Tehran. Participants' demographics (ie, age, gender, current smoking and exercise habits, and family history of hypertension, CVDs, and diabetes) were collected by in-person interviews, and their body mass index (BMI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured. The five-year risk of CVDs was estimated and categorized into low (< 10%), some risk (10 - 20%), moderate (21 - 30%), increased (31 - 40%), and high (> 40%) groups, and its association with the participants’ demographics was evaluated by SPSS version 21. Results: The mean age of 5324 participants was 45.3 ± 14.8 years, and 64% were male. The frequency of CVD risk scores was as follows: low (54%), some risk (17.5%), moderate (15.4%), increased (5.7%), and high (3.5%), which were significantly associated with gender (P < 0.001), smoking status (P = 0.048), exercise (P = 0.014), and family history of diseases (all P < 0.001). Age (β = 0.774, P < 0.001) increased the odds of CVD, while other variables had small or no effects on CVD. Conclusions: This study found a high prevalence of high-risk CVD in the Iranian population, emphasizing the importance of risk score assessment, which should include not only basic non-laboratory risk assessment scores, but also exercise and a positive family history of associated diseases.