Clustering Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Research Articles

Comparison of waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio as predictors of clustering of cardiovascular risk factors among middle-aged people in rural Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.

Given the population-level variation in stature, a universal cut-off for waist circumference (WC) may not be appropriate for some populations. We compared the performance of WC and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) to detect the clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in rural Vietnam. We obtained data from a baseline survey of the Khanh Hoa Cardiovascular Study comprising 2942 middle-aged residents (40-60 years). We used areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC), net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) to compare the performance of WC and WHtR in predicting CVD risk clustering (≥2 of the following risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and elevated C-reactive protein). The optimal cut-off values for WC were 81.8 and 80.7 cm for men and women, respectively. Regarding the clustering of CVD risk factors, the AUROC (95% CI) of WC and WHtR were 0.707 (0.676 to 0.739) and 0.719 (0.689 to 0.749) in men, and 0.682 (0.654 to 0.709) and 0.690 (0.663 to 0.717) in women, respectively. Compared with WC, WHtR had a better NRI (0.229; 0.102-0.344) and IDI (0.012; 0.004-0.020) in men and a better NRI (0.154; 0.050-0.257) in women. The optimal WC cut-off for Vietnamese men was approximately 10 cm below the recommended Asian cut-off. WHtR might perform slightly better in predicting the clustering of CVD risk factors among the rural population in Vietnam.

Prevalence and Clustering of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Adults Along the Lancang-Mekong River: A Cross-Sectional Study from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Progress in cardiovascular health is increasingly concentrated in high-income countries, while the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is high in low- and middle-income countries, a clear health inequity that must be urgently addressed. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and clustering of CVD risk factors in the three Lancang-Mekong regions. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey from January 2021 to March 2023 in China, Laos, and Cambodia. We compared the prevalence and clustering of CVD risk factors-including hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, overweight/obesity, current smoking status, current drinking status, inadequate vegetable and fruit intake, and insufficient physical activity-across the three regions, further stratifying the data by gender and age. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to explore factors influencing the aggregation of CVD risk factors (≥2, ≥3, ≥4). A total of 11,005 adults were included in the study. Hypertension emerged as the primary metabolic risk factor in Laos (36.8%) and Cambodia (23.5%), whereas overweight/obesity was the primary risk factor in China (37.6%). In terms of behavioral risk factors, participants in all three regions showed insufficient vegetable and fruit intake. The prevalence of individuals without CVD risk factors was 10% in China, 1.9% in Laos, and 5.2% in Cambodia. Meanwhile, the prevalence of two or more risk factors was 64.6% in China, 79.2% in Laos, and 76.0% in Cambodia. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed that the propensity for CVD risk factors clustering was higher in men and increased with age in all three countries. CVD risk factors and multiple clustering are pressing health threats among adults in low- and middle-income areas along the Lancang-Mekong River Basin. This study highlights the urgent need for proactive tailored strategies to control CVD risk factors.

The Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Firefighters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Previous studies consistently report a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among firefighters. However, the clustering of CVD risk factors, defined as metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), has received little attention by comparison. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence of MetSyn among firefighters. Using combinations of free text for 'firefighter' and 'metabolic syndrome', databases were searched for eligible studies. Meta-analyses calculated weighted pooled prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for MetSyn, its components and overweight/obesity. Univariate meta-regression was performed to explore sources of heterogeneity. Of 1440 articles screened, 25 studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled prevalence of MetSyn in 31,309 firefighters was 22.3% (95% CI: 17.7-27.0%). The prevalences of MetSyn components were hypertension: 39.1%; abdominal obesity: 37.9%; hypertriglyceridemia: 30.2%; dyslipidemia: 30.1%; and hyperglycemia: 21.1%. Overweight and obesity prevalence rates in firefighters were 44.1% and 35.6%, respectively. Meta-regression revealed that decreased risk of bias (RoB) score and increased body mass index (BMI) were positively associated with an increase in MetSyn prevalence. Since one in five firefighters may meet the criteria for MetSyn, novel interventions should be explored to both prevent MetSyn and reduce the onset of CVD risk factors.

Trends in prevalence and clustering of modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors across socioeconomic spectra in rural southwest China: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the changing prevalence of clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors across socioeconomic spectra in rural southwest China.DesignData were collected from two waves of cross-sectional...

Heat maps of cardiovascular disease risk factor clustering among community-dwelling older people in Xinjiang: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThe clustering of multiple cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (CRFs) increases the risk of CVD prevalence and mortality. Little is known about CRF clustering among community-dwelling older people in Xinjiang....

Urinary metabolomics profiling by cardiovascular risk factors in young adults: the African Prospective study on Early Detection and Identification of Cardiovascular disease and Hypertension study.

Risk factors contributes to a dysregulated metabolism and may ultimately increase the predisposition for cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. To increase our understanding of mechanistic pathways associated with CVD risk, we profiled the urinary metabolome according to individual and clusters of CVD risk factors in comparison with a control group without any risk factors. Healthy black and white women and men ( N = 1202), aged 20-30 years with a detailed CVD risk factor profile were included. CVD risk groups: obese, physical inactive, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, masked hypertensive, hyperglycaemic, dyslipidemic and low socioeconomic status. CVD risk clusters were based on the presence of 1, 2 and 3 or more risk factors. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to obtain urinary metabolomics data (amino acids and acylcarnities). Compared with the control group, higher levels of metabolites associated with aromatic and branched chain amino acid metabolism including phenylalanine, tyrosine and leucine/isoleucine were found in the obese, masked hypertensive, hyperglycaemic, low socioeconomic groups (all q ≤ 0.032) and 3+ CVD risk cluster (all P ≤ 0.034). Metabolites associated with the y-glutamyl cycle including glycine, histidine, serine, glutamine, methionine, cystine and pyroglutamic acid were found in the hyperglycaemic, low socioeconomic groups (all q ≤ 0.050), 2 and 3+ CVD risk clusters (all P ≤ 0.041). Metabolites associated with energetics including acetylcarnitine (lower levels), hexanoylcarnitine and decanoylcarnitine were found in the low socioeconomic group, 1 and 3+ CVD risk clusters ( q / P ≤ 0.050) ( β -oxidation). In addition to the above-mentioned amino acids, alanine and threonine were found in the hyperglycaemic, low socioeconomic groups, 2 and 3+ CVD risk clusters (all q / P ≤ 0.047) (glycolysis). Creatine in the obese, hyperglycaemic groups (all q ≤ 0.049) and 3+ CVD risk cluster (all P ≤ 0.041) (creatine pathway). Exposure to CVD risk factors is associated with a dysregulated metabolism in the above-mentioned pathways that may precede the development of CVD.

Prevalence and Clustering of Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Medical Staff in Northeast China.

Background: The clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors has become a major public health challenge worldwide. Although many studies have investigated CVD risk factor clusters, little is known about their prevalence and clustering among medical staff in Northeast China. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and clustering of CVD risk factors and to investigate the association between relevant characteristics and the clustering of CVD risk factors among medical staff in Northeast China. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 3720 medical staff from 93 public hospitals in Jilin Province was used in this study. Categorical variables were presented as percentages and were compared using the χ2 test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between relevant characteristics and the clustering of CVD risk factors. Results: The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, being overweight, smoking, and drinking were 10.54%, 3.79%, 17.15%, 39.84%, 9.87%, and 21.75%, respectively. Working in a general hospital, male, and age group 18–44 years were more likely to have 1, 2, and ≥3 CVD risk factors, compared with their counterparts. In particular, compared with being a doctor, being a nurse or medical technician was less likely to have 1, 2, and ≥3 CVD risk factors only in general hospitals. Conclusions: The findings suggest that medical staff of general hospitals, males, and older individuals have a high chance associated with CVD risk factor clustering and that more effective interventions should be undertaken to reduce the prevalence and clustering of CVD risk factors, especially among older male doctors who work in general hospitals.

Self-Reported Modifiable Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease among Older Adults in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence and Clustering.

The co-occurrence of multiple modifiable risk factors increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity or mortality. This study examines the prevalence and clustering of self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors among older adults in Malaysia. A total of 7117 adults aged ≥50 years participated in the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2018: Elderly Health, a community-based cross-sectional survey. Data were collected using a standardized structured questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the clustering of self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors. The prevalence of self-reported diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, overweight/obesity, and current smoking was 23.3%, 42.2%, 35.6%, 58.4%, and 17.5%, respectively. Overall, the prevalence of clustering of ≥1, ≥2, and ≥3 modifiable CVD risk factors was 83.3%, 75.4%, and 62.6%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that men, 60–69 age group, urban dwellers, having no formal education, unemployed/retirees/homemakers, and being physically inactive were independently associated with self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors clustering. There are also ethnic differences in self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors clustering. Our findings underscore the necessity of targeted interventions and integrated strategies for early detection and treatment of modifiable CVD risk factors among older adults, considering age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Maternal Cardiovascular Health and Adverse Childbirth Outcomes in the United States

Cardiovascular-related adverse childbirth outcomes have been increasing in the United States, with widening racial and ethnic disparities. We examined the association between maternal cardiovascular health (CVH) and childbirth outcomes among US births. We analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Ideal CVH was defined as a composite of 4 cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors: absence of a medical diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, history of cigarette smoking before or during pregnancy, and a pre-pregnancy body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. Childbirth outcomes examined were preterm birth, low birthweight, and mode of birth. Survey logistic regression was used for multivariate analyses. A total of 34 918 women were included in our study, and most (61%) had more than 1 CVD risk factor. Clustering of CVD risk factors was more likely among women with an annual income of less than $40 000 and not college educated and found among non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Natives (P < .001). The odds of an adverse childbirth outcome increased with each additional CVD risk factor. Hypertension was highest among non-Hispanic Black women (20%) and the strongest predictor of having a low-birth-weight infant (odds ratio [OR], 3.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.86-3.48), preterm birth (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 2.40-3.07), and cesarean birth (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.52-1.87). Clustering of maternal CVD risk factors was significantly associated with adverse childbirth outcomes. Unfavorable CVH and its association with adverse childbirth outcomes were most common in women of color, calling for special attention to this group.

Association of Dietary Patterns with Weight Status and Metabolic Risk Factors among Children and Adolescents

Unhealthy dietary patterns are associated with obesity in children and adolescents. However, few studies have investigated the relationships between dietary patterns and obesity-related metabolic disorders among Asians. We identified dietary patterns in children and adolescents and examined the associations between these patterns and obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome in South Korea. This study is a cross-sectional design. We used baseline data from an intervention study of 435 Korean children and adolescents aged 6–17 years. Insulin resistance was assessed as HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed by cardiovascular disease risk factor clustering. Dietary intakes were estimated using 3-day food records. Factor analysis was used to obtain dietary patterns, and we examined the associations between dietary patterns and obesity-related markers adjusted for potential covariates. Three dietary patterns were identified as fast food and soda (FFS), white rice and kimchi (WRK), and oil and seasoned vegetable (OSV) patterns. Compared with participants in the lower intake of FFS pattern, those in the top intake were associated with a higher waist circumference (WC) (β = 1.55), insulin level (β = 1.25), and body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.53) and it was positively associated with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6 (OR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.227–3.638) (p < 0.05). WRK pattern was associated with lower weight and higher HDL cholesterol, and the OSV pattern was associated with a lower weight, WC, and insulin level (p < 0.05). The FFS pattern showed a positive relation with WC, serum insulin, and BMI, and the other two dietary patterns indicated a preventive effect of those parameters. The FFS pattern was associated with significantly elevated insulin resistance among children and adolescents.

Relationship between loneliness, social isolation and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease: a latent class analysis

BackgroundThere is growing research into the effects of psychological and social factors such as loneliness and isolation on cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it is unclear whether individuals with particular clusters...

The association between cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic syndrome diagnosis: A cross-sectional study in Indonesian middle-aged and older adults

Objectives: The roles of cardiorespiratory fitness (CF) in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality risks are well established; however, little is known about the role of CF in reducing risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of CVD risk factors, particularly in Asian countries. This research examined associations between CF and MetS diagnosis and its five components in Indonesian middle-aged and older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 161 participants (aged 63±8 years; 70% female). CF was assessed with a 6-minute walk test. MetS diagnosis and its components were assessed with the Adult Treatment Panel III. Logistic regression modelling was conducted to examine the relationships between CF and MetS diagnosis and its components, after adjustment for BMI and other confounders. BMI was categorized using cut-points for Asians. Results: In adjusted models, participants with low CF had a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with MetS than those with high CF (OR=4.79, 95%CI:2.17-10.62). They were also more likely to have low high-density lipoprotein (OR=2.07, 95%CI:1.02-4.18) or hypertriglyceridemia (OR=2.37, 95%CI:1.15-4.86). There was also borderline significant findings that suggested that participants with low CF had greater likelihood of having abdominal obesity (OR=2.34, 95%CI:0.97-5.65, p=0.06) or hyperglycaemia (OR=2.07 95%CI:0.98-4.41, p=0.06). Conclusions: Low CF is associated with increased likelihood of being diagnosed with MetS. The adverse effects of low CF are mainly characterized by dyslipidaemia. Public health messages should emphasise the importance of improving CF for preventing MetS. Assessment of CF could be useful for targeting individuals most likely to benefit from intervention to prevent MetS.

Association of Fitness and Fatness with Clustered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Nigerian Adolescents.

Purpose: This study examinedthe independent and joint association of fitness and fatness with clustered cardiovascular disease risk (CVDrs) in 11–18 year-old Nigerian adolescents. Methods: A hundred and ninety seven adolescents (100 girls and 97 boys) were evaluated forfitness, fatness and CVDrs. Fitness was evaluated with the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run test while fatness was assessed using body mass index. A clustered CVDrs was computed from the standardized residuals of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, plasma glucose, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Regression models controlling for waist circumference assessed the association of fitness and fatness with CVDrs. Results: Prevalence of clustered CVD risk was 7.1% (girls = 3.0%; boys = 4.1%). Based on risk factor abnormalities, 52.8% of participants had one or more CVD risk factor abnormalities with more boys (27.4%) affected. Low fitness was associated with clustered CVDrs in both girls (R2 = 9.8%, β = −0.287, p = 0.05) and boys (R2 = 17%, β = −0.406, p < 0.0005). Fatness was not associated with the CVDrs in both sexes. After controlling for all the variables in the model, only fitness (R2 = 10.4%) and abdominal fat (R2 = 19.5%) were associated with CVDrs respectively. Unfit girls were 3.2 (95% CI = 1.31–7.91, p = 0.011) times likely to develop CVD risk abnormality compared to their fit counterparts. The likelihood of unfit boys developing CVD risk abnormality was 3.9 (95% CI = 1.15–10.08, p = 0.005) times compared to their fit peers. Conclusions: Fitness but not fatness was a better predictor of CVDrs in Nigerian boys and girls. The result of this study suggests that any public health strategies aimed at preventing or reversing the increasing trends of CVD risk in adolescents should emphasize promotion of aerobic fitness.

Prevalence and clusters of modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors among intra-city commercial motor vehicle drivers in a Nigerian metropolitan city.

Commercial motor vehicle drivers (CMVDs) have worst health profiles among different occupations, yet the presence of clusters of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in this group have not been described in a resource-limited setting. The prevalence of CVD risk factors and the clusters among CMVDs was evaluated. A cross-sectional descriptive study. Four motor parks in three local government areas of Ibadan city, Nigeria. Consented and conveniently sampled 152 intra-city CMVDs aged ≥ 18 years. Prevalence of CVD risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, high triglyceride, low HDLc, high waist-hip ratio, central obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol, and overweight/obesity) and their clusters were determined. All participants were male from 20 - 77 years old. Most of the CMVDs were physically inactive (80, 52.6%), take alcohol (78, 51.3%), and few smokes (35, 12.4%). The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, obesity, and central obesity were 36.2%, 5.9%, 23.7%, 4.6%, and 5.3%, respectively. Four clusters of CVD risk factors in the CMVDs with the prevalence of 36.2%. 33.5%, 17.1% and 13.2% were identified with significant differences (p<0.05) in the risk factors. The prevalence of diabetes, obesity, central obesity, and smoking was low while the prevalence of hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia was moderate among the CMVDs, but the prevalence of alcohol intake and physical inactivity were high. Four distinct clusters of CVD risk factors were observed among the drivers. The study was self-funded.

Clustering and Tracking the Stability of Biological CVD Risk Factors in Adolescents: The Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team Study (MyHeARTs).

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors tend to cluster and progress from adolescence to young adulthood. Reliable and meaningful clustering of CVD risk factors is essential to circumvent loss of information. Tracking adverse and high-risk profiles of adolescents is hoped to curb CVD progression later in life. The study aims to investigate the clustering of biological CVD risk factor among adolescents in Malaysia and the transitions between clusters over time.Method: The Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team study (MyHeARTs) examined school students aged 13 in 2012 and re-examined them in 2014 and 2016. In a two-stage stratified cluster sampling, 1,361 students were recruited, of which, 1,320 had complete data. In the follow-up, there were 881 and 637 students in 2014 and in 2016, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to identify and remove highly correlated CVD risk factors. All risk factors were standardized into z-scores. The hierarchical and non-hierarchical (k-means) cluster analyses were used to classify students into high, medium and low risk clusters in each screening year. The tracking and stability of cluster transitions through cross-classification were enumerated with Pearson's inter-age correlations and percentages.Results: Three significant clusters of high, medium and low risk groups were derived from the clustering of eight biological CVD risk factors. The transitions between risk clusters from one screening year to the other were categorized as either stagnant, improved or adverse. The number of students who had adverse transitions increased from 15.5% (13–15 year) to 19.5% (15–17 year), 13.8 to 18.2% among the girls and 19.9 to 22.8% among the boys. For girls, the number of them who remained at high risk over the two transition periods were about the same (13.6 vs. 13.8%) whereas for boys, the percentage reduced from 14.6 to 12.3%.Conclusion: Over time, more than 12% of adolescents remained in the high risk cluster. There were sizable adverse transitions over time as more adolescents appear to be shifting toward an increased risk of having CVD. Collaborative and constant measures should be taken by parents, school, health promotion boards and policy makers to curb the multiplicative effect of clustering CVD risk factors among adolescents.

Relationship between serum uric acid and clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors and renal disorders among Shanghai population: a multicentre and cross-sectional study

ObjectivesTo estimate the current prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors (CRFs) and renal disorders across serum uric acid (SUA) quartiles, and evaluate the relationships between SUA and CRFs and renal...

The influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on clustered cardiovascular disease risk factors and the mediator role of body mass index in youth: The UP&DOWN Study.

The combined effect of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body mass index (BMI) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in young people remains to be fully determined. We examined the individual and combined associations of CRF and BMI with clustered CVD risk factors, and the mediator role of BMI in the association between CRF and clustered CVD risk factors in children and adolescents. 237 children (111 girls) and 260 adolescents (120 girls) were included in this cross-sectional study. Height and weight were assessed and BMI was calculated. A CVD risk factor index (CVDRF-I) was computed from: waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose. CRF was assessed using the 20-m shuttle run test. Regression analysis, analysis of covariance and mediation analysis (Baron and Kenny procedures) were used to test the independent and combined effect of CRF and BMI on CVDRF-I, and to test mediation hypothesis, respectively. CRF was negatively associated with CVDRF-I (all P < 0.05); however, after adjusting for BMI the associations were no longer significant in children and adolescents of both sex groups. Contrary, the association between BMI and CVDRF-I was independent of CRF (all P < 0.001). The effect of CRF on CVDRF-I was mediated by BMI. The percentage of the total effect of CRF on CVDRF-I mediated by BMI for boys and girls children and boys and girls adolescents were 79.5%, 100%, 81.2% and 55.7%, respectively. BMI is an independent predictor of CVDRF-I and a mediator of the association between CRF and CVDRF-I in children and adolescents. These results help to clarify the associations between CRF, weight status and cardiovascular health, suggesting that future CVD health would benefit from maintaining an optimal weight status.

A7116 Preventing excessive alcohol intake, smoking and obesity may reduce blood pressure results from the screening of 47000 adults in Emin, China

Objectives: Prehypertenion (PHT) has a higher risk of developing hypertension (37.3–49.5% over 4 years) the leading preventable cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD).Therefore, to coordinate more efforts to control hypertension and CVD, we estimated PHT prevalence, related factors and clustered CVD risk factors in Emin Xinjiang, where control of hypertension is lower than national average (10% vs 15.9%) in China. Methods: From 2014 to 2016, we surveyed1/3 of adult residents of Emin (population 160000) for hypertension screening. PHT was defined as not on anti-hypertensive medications and SBP of 120–139mmHg and /or DBP of 80–89mmHg. We compared the PHT prevalence with different gender, age groups, and area (urban, agricultural, stock-raising), and related factors and clustered CVD risk factors in PTH. Modifiable clustered risk factors included overall and abdominal obesity, smoking and drinking. Results: 47040 adult residents were screened; 48.5% were women. The overall prevalence of PHT and hypertension was 31.2%and 26.6%, respectively. The age-adjusted PHT prevalence was higher in men (37.4%) than in women (24.4%). PHT prevalence is the highest (37.9%) in 30–39 age groups and highest in urban area (31.6%). Overweight (OR = 1.85), overall and abdominal obesity (OR = 2.45 and 1.45), smoking (OR = 1.12), and alcohol intake (OR = 1.16) were associated with higher PHT prevalence. Compared to normotensive subjects, the prevalence of clustering 1 (23.0% vs 22.2%), 2 (32.4% vs 24.8%), 3 (8.3% vs 6.1%) and 4 (5.2% vs 3.8%) CVD risk factors were significantly higher in PHT. Conclusion: PHT is highly prevalent in Xinjiang, particularly in men, younger population and in those from urban area. Control of alcohol drinking, smoking and body weight may be at high priority of health promotion.

The Role of Adiposity in the Association between Muscular Fitness and Cardiovascular Disease

To test the associations of muscular fitness and body mass index (BMI), individually and combined, with clustered cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents and to analyze the mediator role of BMI in the association between muscular fitness and clustered cardiovascular disease risk factors. In total, 239 children (113 girls) and 270 adolescents (128 girls) participated in this cross-sectional study. Height and weight were assessed, and BMI was calculated. A cardiovascular disease risk factors index (CVDRF-I) was created from the combination of the following variables: waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose. Handgrip strength/weight and standing long jump tests were used to assess muscular fitness. A muscular fitness index was computed from the combination of both tests. Muscular fitness index was associated with CVDRF-I in children of both sexes and adolescent boys; however, these associations disappeared after accounting for BMI. BMI was associated with CVDRF-I in both children and adolescents, even after adjusting for muscular fitness (all P < .001). In male and female children and in adolescent boys, the association between muscular fitness and CVDRF-I was mediated by BMI (all P < .001). Because there was no association between muscular fitness and CVDRF-I in adolescent girls, the mediation hypothesis was discarded. BMI is an independent predictor of CVDRF-I in children and adolescents of both sexes. Conversely, the effect of muscular fitness on CVDRF-I seems to be fully mediated by BMI levels in male and female children and in adolescent boys.

Cardiovascular disease risk factor clustering in children and adolescents: a prospective cohort study

ObjectiveThe early identification of predictors related to cardiovascular disease risk factor clustering (CVD-RFC) can help prevent chronic disease. We aimed to identify the risk factors for CVD-RFC in adolescents.MethodsA prospective...