Cent Eur J Public Health 2017, 25(1):77-84

Prevalence of Conventional Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes in Slovakia

Roman Alberty¹, Martin Studenčan², František Kovář³

¹ Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

² Cardiocentre of Faculty Hospital J. A. Rayman, Prešov, Slovakia

³ Cardiocentre of Martin Faculty Hospital, Martin, Slovakia

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a major health problem and the leading cause of death and disability in Slovakia. This is the first study to describe the prevalence rate of conventional cardiovascular risk factors in patients hospitalized for ACS.

Methods: Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and cigarette smoking were documented in 1,567 cases (mean age, SD: 66.1±12.0 years, 34.8% of females) enrolled in the SLOVAKS registry from August 2011 through September 2011.

Results: Overall, 83.5% (95% CI, 81.6-85.2%) of the patients with ACS had hypertension, 65.0% (62.5-67.2%) had a hyperlipidemic profile, 32.6% (30.3-34.9%) were diagnosed with diabetes, and 27.6% (25.1-29.8%) were smokers at the time of a heart-related event. Only 5% of patients with ACS lacked any of the 4 conventional risk factors. Higher prevalence rates of all major risk factors, except smoking, were detected in women than in men, in older (≥65 years of age) than younger patients, and in rural (<2,000 inhabitants) than in urban areas. Premature ACS (<45 years of age) was associated with smoking in men, and smoking and hypertension in women. Smoking, in all risk factor combinations, reduced the age at the time of a heart-related event, on average, by 10.0 years in men and by 12.4 years in women.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest an appreciable burden of major cardiovascular risk factors and also highlight differences that may aid the targeting of public health interventions.

Keywords: acute coronary syndrome, risk factors, epidemiology, case-retrospective study

Received: March 18, 2015; Revised: July 7, 2016; Accepted: July 7, 2016; Published: March 1, 2017  Show citation