Survey Of Coronary Risk Factors Research Articles

A survey of coronary risk factors and B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations in cardiac nurses from Europe: do nurses still practice what they preach?

From a previous survey of cardiac nurses attending a scientific conference, we learned that these nurses adopted a healthier lifestyle than the general population. The aim of this study was to determine the overall profile of cardiac risk factors in a similar cohort and determine whether cardiac nurses continue to 'practice what they preach' in this regard. Secondly, we examined the practical value of screening a large cohort of individuals within a short time frame (total of 8 hours screening time) and determined the range of BNP concentrations within a 'healthy' cohort. Data on CHD risk factors were collected with a short self-report questionnaire. The sample consisted of 122 cardiac nurses from 19 countries attending a European cardiac nursing conference held in Stockholm. A venous blood sample was collected into a tube containing potassium ETDA. B-type natriuretic peptide was measured on-site with the use of a portable fluorescence immunoassay kit. Most participants were female (89%). Participants ranged in age from 23 to 60 years with a mean age of 41 (S.D. 9.4). Eleven percent - all female - reported they were current smokers, 27% (34) had a BMI >25 and 27% of the sample stated they did not exercise regularly. Almost half (48%) of the sample reported a family history of CHD. As expected, all BNP-values were within the normal range. There were significant differences in BNP on the basis of sex (P<0.05) and age (P<0.05) and a trend towards increasing BNP concentrations with progressively higher BMI scores (P=0.06). This study reconfirms the likelihood that many cardiac nurses heed their own advice on lifestyle modification to reduce cardiovascular risk and therefore provide a good role model for the promotion of primary and secondary prevention initiatives.

A survey of coronary risk factors in a cohort of cardiac nurses from Europe: do nurses practise what they preach?

Cardiac nurses play a key role in coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention, health promotion and education. Thus, one would expect that nurses would have a heightened awareness of the need to modify lifestyle in order to prevent or reduce the risk of CHD. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the major CHD risk factors in a cohort of cardiac nurses from a range of European countries. Data on CHD risk factors were collected at a health-screening interview. The sample consisted of 130 cardiac nurses from 11 countries attending a European cardiac nursing conference held in the UK. Demographic data, lipid profile, blood pressure and exercise, alcohol and smoking habits were recorded. Of the 130 nurses who took part in this survey, 81% were from the UK. The mean (S.D.) age of the sample was 40 (7.5) years and 91% were female. The means (S.D.) of the risk factors were: systolic blood pressure 132 (16) mmHg; diastolic blood pressure 83 (11) mmHg; body mass index (BMI) 24.6 (3.8) kg/m(2); total cholesterol 5.1 (0.9) mmol/l; and blood glucose 5.5 (1.2) mmol/l. Ten nurses admitted to smoking and the mean weekly alcohol consumption was 10 units. Over half (53%) of the sample reported a family history of CHD and 49% reported exercising regularly. Results indicate that in general, cardiac nurses have adopted a healthier lifestyle than the general population. Self-reported exercise was higher than the UK national norms and BMI was lower than UK national norms.

Blood pressure and cardiac structure in children with a parental history of hypertension

To examine the relation between a parental history of hypertension and blood pressure and cardiac structure in children aged 8-10 years. Cross-sectional study of a sample of children drawn from a population survey of coronary risk factors in children. Odense, Denmark. Sixty-nine children of hypertensive parents (5.2% of the eligible population). Physical fitness assessed by calculation of maximum oxygen uptake, blood pressure recorded by one blind observer and left ventricular structure determined by echocardiography. Children with a parental history of hypertension displayed a significant decrease in physical fitness and a significant increase in obesity and systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with the rest of the population. After controlling for differences in body size and physical fitness, they also showed significantly higher levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Apart from a significant increase in thickness of the interventricular septum during systole, no significant differences in echocardiographic measures or indices could be demonstrated between children with a parental history of hypertension and a normotensive control group. Our results indicate that a higher level of blood pressure in children with a parental history of hypertension is apparent before the age of 10 years.

A controlled study of eight months of physical training and reduction of blood pressure in children: the Odense schoolchild study.

To examine the effect of physical training on physical fitness and blood pressure in children aged 9-11 years. Prospective randomised controlled intervention study of a sample of children drawn from a population survey of coronary risk factors in children. Odense, Denmark. 69 children with mean blood pressure greater than or equal to 95th centile (hypertensive group) and 68 with mean blood pressure less than 95th centile (normotensive group), randomly selected from a population of 1369 children. 67 children were randomised to receive three extra lessons a week of an ordinary school physical education programme for eight months. Physical fitness assessed by calculation of maximum oxygen uptake and blood pressure recorded by one unblinded observer. After three months neither blood pressure nor physical fitness had changed significantly. After adjustment for values in weight, height, heart rate, and the variable in question before training physical fitness rose significantly at the end of eight months' training, by 3.7 mlO2/kg/min (95% confidence interval 2.2 to 5.3) in the normotensive training subgroup and by 2.1 mlO2/kg/min (0.1 to 4.2) in the hypertensive training subgroup compared with that in the controls. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the training subgroups fell significantly by 6.5 mm Hg (3.2 to 9.9) and 4.1 mm Hg (1.7 to 6.6) respectively in the normotensive group and by 4.9 mm Hg (0.7 to 9.2) and 3.8 mm Hg (0.9 to 6.6) respectively in the hypertensive group. Physical training lowers blood pressure and improves physical fitness in children and might have implications for an important non-pharmacological approach to primary prevention of essential hypertension.

Patterns of physical activity among 11 to 16 year old British children.

To examine the patterns of physical activity among British schoolchildren aged 11 to 16 and to assess whether the children experience the intensity and duration of physical activity that are believed to stress the cardiopulmonary system appropriately. Cross sectional study of a sample of children drawn from a larger survey of coronary risk factors in children. Continuous monitoring of heart rate for 12 hour periods on three school days and one Saturday. Two communities in Devon. 266 Children (163 girls, 103 boys) aged 11 to 16 randomly selected from a sample of 707 children. Percentage of time and number of sustained periods in which heart rate was greater than 139 beats/min. Anthropometric measures and external assessment of sexual maturity with Tanner's indices. The boys had heart rates greater than 139 beats/min for a significantly higher percentage of time than the girls (p less than 0.01) during the weekday (6.2% v 4.3%) and the Saturday (5.6% v 2.6%). The boys had significantly more five and 10 minute periods with heart rates greater than 139 beats/min than the girls during the Saturday and weekdays and more 20 minute periods during the weekdays. 84 Girls and 37 boys had no 10 minute period with a heart rate greater than 139 beats/min during the three weekdays and 112 girls and 65 boys had no such 10 minute period during the Saturday. No significant relation was detected in either sex between the amount or habitual physical activity (heart rate) and skinfold thickness or maturity group. British children have surprisingly low levels of habitual physical activity, and many children seldom undertake the volume of physical activity believed to benefit the cardiopulmonary system. Boys are more active than girls. The pubertal stage of development or body fatness, or both, do not seem to be sensitive indicators of physical activity in either girls or boys.

Coronary risk factors six to 12 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Hyperlipidaemia appears to be a major factor in the development of graft atherosclerosis in the five- to 10-year period after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A preliminary survey of coronary risk factors was conducted in 103 consecutive patients, who lived in the Sydney metropolitan area and who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery six to 12 months previously in a single hospital unit. The information was collected by reply-paid questionnaire (response rate, 93%) and by clinical assessment (measurement rate, 85%). The group was predominantly (86%) male and elderly (mean age, 62 years; 60% of men and 85% of women were aged over 59 years). Seven per cent of the group had undergone a second operation. Approximately two of every three subjects manifested hypercholesterolaemia, one in four subjects manifested hypertension and one in three subjects was overweight, but only one in 20 subjects currently smoked cigarettes. The findings were compared with those in a general population sample; the assumption was made that coronary risk factors would be overrepresented in a sample of patients in whom coronary artery bypass graft surgery had been required. The data suggested that cigarette smoking was receiving appropriate intervention (before or after surgery), that hypertension was receiving some intervention, and that hyperlipidaemia was receiving insufficient intervention. On a purely empirical basis, the appropriate use of a cardiac rehabilitation service is suggested as one possible way of preventing the return of a large number of patients with graft atherosclerosis in later years.