LINK TO RESEARCH
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31327753/
PUBLICATION
Global Heart
AUTHORS
Juan P González-Rivas 1 ,
Jeffrey I Mechanick 2 ,
Eunice Ugel 3 ,
María Inés Marulanda 4 ,
Maritza Duran 5 ,
Ramfis Nieto-Martínez 6
ABSTRACT
Background: Cardiovascular health status of the Venezuelan population has not been
evaluated. The American Heart Association recommends the Cardiovascular
Health Score (CHS) to assess cardiovascular health.
Objectives: This study sought to determine the prevalence of CHS categories in a
nationally representative sample of Venezuelan adults.
Methods: EVESCAM (Venezuelan Study of Cardio-Metabolic Health) was a national
population-based, cross-sectional, randomized cluster sampling study
performed from July 1, 2014 to January 31, 2017, which assessed 3,454
adults, age ≥20 years, with a response rate of 77.3%. The American Heart
Association’s CHS evaluates 4 behaviors (smoking, body mass index, physical
activity, and diet) and 3 risk factors (total cholesterol, blood pressure,
and blood glucose), assigning 1 point to those meting an ideal behavior or
factor or 0 points if are not. Subjects were categorized as having ideal (5
to 7 points), intermediate (3 to 4), or poor (<3) cardiovascular health.
Weighted prevalence by age, sex, and regions are presented.
Results: A total of 2,992 participants completed the data. Mean age and CHS were
41.4 ± 15.8 years and 4.3 ± 1.1 points, respectively. The prevalence of
ideal CHS was 37.9% (95% confidence interval: 35.0 to 40.7); two-thirds
presented with intermediate to poor CHS. Ideal CHS was most prevalent in
women, in the youngest participants, and in those with higher education
degree and living in a rural area. The prevalence of 7 components was
0.13%. Subjects evaluated since mid-2016 had a higher prevalence of ideal
CHS (≈47%) than those evaluated before it (≈32%) (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: A high prevalence of ideal CHS was observed in Venezuelan adults compared
with other reports; however, a large proportion remain with high risk for
cardiovascular disease.
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