CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

FREQUENCY OF RISK FACTORS AMONG HEALTHY MALE PARAMEDICAL STAFF

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of risk factors of coronary artery disease
(CAD) in healthy male paramedical staff of our hospital. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place
and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart
Diseases, Rawalpindi, from January 2009 to June 2009. Methodology: Three Sixty Three (363)
healthy male paramedical staff members were studied. Patients with heart disease, chronic liver
and kidney diseases were excluded. Presence of hypertension, diabetes, smoking, dyslipidemia,
physical activity, a family history of (CAD) and medication was documented. Fasting blood
glucose, lipid profile, uric acid levels were done. Body mass index and waist circumference
were measured and Waist to Hip ratio calculated. Data was analysed using SPSS-20. Ten year
risk was calculated using Heart Score software. Results: Mean age of subjects was 31.85 ±
8.10 years. Maximum number of patients (152, 41.9%) aged between 31 to 40 years. Smoking
was documented in 76 (20.9%), hypertension in 26 (7.2%), diabetes in 27 (7.4%) and a family
history of premature CAD was recorded in 26 (7.2%) persons. Eighty (22.01%) patients were
overweight (BMI = 25-29.9) while 26 (7.2%) were obese (BMI >30). Waist circumference > 94
cm was found in 79 (21.8%). High cholesterol (>200 mg/dl) was documented in 33 (9.1% ) ,
high LDL( >100 mg/dl ) in 68 (18.7% ), low HDL in 92 (25.4%) and high triglycerides (>150
mg /dl) in 116(32%) persons. Conclusions: Dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking, hypertension and
diabetes were most frequent risk factors. Public awareness to control risk factors can reduce
the prevalence of CAD.