title: Cardiovascular risk factors: distribution and prevalence in a rural population of Bangladesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the cardiovascular risk factors in the Bangladeshi population. We examined 'classic' risk factors, including central obesity, in a rural population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Non-biochemical variables were examined in 238 men and 272 women aged 18 years or more (mean +/- standard deviation 38.1 +/- 10.7 years in men and 36.0 +/- 9.8 in women). Fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol concentrations were determined in a sub-sample of 106 men and 135 women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men and women had a similar body mass index (20.4 +/- 3.1 vs 20.8 +/- 3.4 kg/m2), waist circumference (72.8 +/- 7.6 vs 71.4 +/- 8.7 cm), systolic blood pressure (118.4 +/- 13.7 vs 119.5 +/- 17.7 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (75.9 +/- 9.9 vs 74.6 +/- 11.5 mmHg), total cholesterol (155.7 +/- 36.0 vs 162.0 +/- 35.2 mg/dl) and blood glucose level (89.0 +/- 14.9 vs 86.2 +/- 9.6 mg/dl. After categorization of these variables, the prevalence of thinness (body mass index < 18.5; 30.0 vs 30.3%), obesity (body mass index > or = 30; 0.8 vs 1.1%), hypertension (systolic blood pressure > or = 140 and/or diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 or medication; 9.8 vs 15.6%), hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol > or = 240; 2.8 vs 3.0%) and diabetes mellitus (blood glucose > or = 126; 2.9 vs 0.7%) remained similar between the sexes. However, central obesity (waist circumference > or = 94 cm in men and > or = 80 cm in women) was less frequent (2.9 vs 16.8%; P = 0.001) in men. Overall, tobacco consumption (57.1 vs 23.2%; P = 0.001) and smoking (50.3% vs 2.9%; P = 0.001) were more frequent in men, but chewing tobacco consumption was similar (16.3 vs 21.4%; P = 0.095).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our sample size is small, and larger studies are necessary for a more accurate description of the risk factors.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Control of Rheumatic Fever and Heart Diseases, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh. mzaman@bangla.net
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshiike
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rouf
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Syeed
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahtab
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology