Low Prevalence of AHA-Defined Ideal Cardiovascular Health Factors: A Study of Urban Indian Men and Women.

Abstract

Coronary heart disease risk factors are widely prevalent among urban subjects in India but the prevalence of good cardiovascular health is unknown. This multisite study sought to determine the prevalence of American Heart Association-defined ideal cardiovascular health factors. The study was performed in 11 cities using cluster sampling. Middle-class urban subjects ages 20 to75 years (N= 6,198; men: 3,426; women: 2,772, response: 62%) were evaluated for socioeconomic, biophysical, and biochemical factors. Prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health using 7-factor American Heart Association metric (nonsmoking, moderate or greater physical activity, low-fat, high-fruit/vegetable diet, body mass index <25 kg/m2, untreated blood pressure <120/<80 mm Hg, cholesterol <200 mg/dl, and fasting glucose <100 mg/dl) was determined. Descriptive statistics are reported. Age-adjusted prevalences of ideal health factors in men and women, respectively, were non-tobacco use in 72.0% and 89.6%, moderate physical activity in 20.1% and 20.6%, healthy diet in 10.6% and 10.6%, normal body mass index in 57.7% and 52.8%, normotension in 17.1% and 22.4%, normocholesterolemia in 72.4% and 72.7%, and normoglycemia in 57.4% and 59.5%. Prevalence of all the 7 health factors was in <1.0% in both men and women, any 6 in 3.4% and 3.5%, any 5 in 12.7% and 17.8%, any 4 in 36.9% and 44.7%, any 3 in 67.2% and 70.8%, any 2 in 89.1% and 92.4%, and 1 in 98.2% and 99.1%. Cardiovascular health was poor (1 to 3 factors) in 62.4% of men and 54.9% of women, average (4 to 5 factors) in 34.1% and 41.5%, and good (≥6 factors) in 3.5% and 3.6%. With increasing age, the behavioral health factors (tobacco use, physical activity, healthy diet) did not change, whereas others declined (ptrend < 0.01). Clustering of average and good health factors also declined with age (ptrend < 0.01). There were no socioeconomic status-related differences in prevalence of good cardiovascular health. Good cardiovascular health factors-physical activity, healthy diet, and desirable body mass index, blood pressure, and glucose levels-are low in urban Asian Indians.