Abstract
Multiple cardiovascular risk factors are directly related to the severity of atherosclerosis, even in children and adolescents. In this context accurate assessment of risk factors at the individual level play a decisive role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, the frequency of their coexistence in individuals, and identify possible determinants associated with this coexistence in Brazilian adolescents. A cross-sectional study with 1170 students (12–17 years) from public and private schools of a large city was conducted. In addition to family history, modifiable cardiovascular risk factors were assessed including: tobacco use, alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, overweight/obesity, increased waist circumference, and high blood pressure (office and home). We built a linear regression model to identify determinants associated with increasing number of modifiable risk factors. Mean study population age was 14.7±1.6 years, 67% were enrolled in public schools and 33% in private ones. The majority of the adolescents had at least two risk factors (68.9%), more than 10% had more than 4 risk factors, and in only 6.7% of the sample no risk factor was identified. Family history of CVD (β-coefficient = 1.20; 95%CI 1.07–1.34; p<0.001), increasing age (β-coefficient = 0.08; 95%CI 0.04–0.11; p<0.001), and being enrolled in private schools (β-coefficient = 0.16; 95%CI 0.02–0.30; p = 0.023) were directly associated with the modifiable CV risk factors. In conclusion, the prevalence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors was high in the population of adolescents studied. School based interventions should be addressed to change this scenario.
Highlights
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide and the burden of these diseases falls mainly on low and middle-income countries[1]
This study was conducted in the Midwest region of Brazil with a representative sample of students aged 12–17 years from public and private schools assessing the prevalence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors and its related factors
Adolescents from public schools, older and with a family history of CVD were more likely to have a higher number of modifiable CV risk factors
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide and the burden of these diseases falls mainly on low and middle-income countries[1]. Projections show that deaths due to CVD will increase to approximately 23 million by 2030[2], when CVD will remain the leading cause of mortality. Cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and family history of CVD, are the underlying factors for most cardiovascular events[3]. Changes in childhood and adolescents habits are contributing to increase the rates of all traditional CVD risk factors[5]. A better comprehension of both presence and number of multiple risk factors in young people can significantly contribute to actions that may modify their natural history and prevent CVD onset[7]
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