Vascular risk factors in the Swiss population.
OBJECTIVE
Identification of the population at risk of stroke remains the best approach to assess the burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.


METHODS
The prevalence of hypertension (HT), hypercholesterolemia (HCh), diabetes mellitus (DM), overweight (OW), obesity (OB), tobacco use (SM), and their combinations was examined in 4,458 Swiss persons (1,741 men and 2,717 women, mean age 57.8 +/- 15 years), who volunteered for the present survey.


RESULTS
OW was the most prevalent risk factor (50 %), followed by HT (47%), HCh (33%), SM (13 %) and DM (1.6 %). The proportion of persons without risk factors (RF) was 19.9%, with 1 RF 41.5%, 2 RF 33.8%, 3 RF 4%, and 4 RF 0.9%. OW was more prevalent in men than in women (53% vs. 41%, P=0.02). More men than women aged 41-50 years and 51-60 years had HT (49 % vs. 36%, P=0.01, and 52 % vs. 42%, P=0.02). The prevalence of HCh and DM did not show any sex-related differences. HT, OW and HCh were not only the most common single risk factors, but were also most likely to aggregate with each other.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of Swiss people have one or two vascular risk factors. OW and HT are by far most common and are likely to aggregate with each other. A small modification of these two factors would reduce the incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction significantly.
Nedeltchev
Krassen
K
Dept. of Neurology, University Hospital of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 4, Switzerland.
Arnold
Marcel
M
Baumgartner
Ralf
R
Devuyst
Gerald
G
Erne
Paul
P
Hayoz
Daniel
D
Sztajzel
Roman
R
Tettenborn
Barbara
B
Mattle
Heinrich P
HP
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol