Hypercholesterolemia and smoking habits of Lithuanian military personnel.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, namely, hypercholesterolemia and current smoking, among 25- to 54-year-old men and women among Lithuanian active duty military personnel.


METHODS
Serum cholesterol levels were measured enzymatically for 200 persons (126 men and 74 women). Interviews regarding smoking habits were performed for 82.5% of those persons (98 men and 67 women).


RESULTS
Hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol level of > or = 6.2 mmol/L) was determined for 45.2% of men and 40.5% of women. After distribution of men and women into three age groups (25-34, 35-44, and 45-54 years), it was determined that the rate of hypercholesterolemia increased with age (among groups of men, 29.6%, 46.7%, and 74.0%; among groups of women, 18.8%, 51.5%, and 40.0%, respectively). The proportion of current smokers among men was 2.6 times higher than that among women (45.9% vs. 17.9%; p < 0.001). The highest rate of current smoking was in the 35- to 44-year group of men (64.5%). The coexistence of hypercholesterolemia and current smoking among men was 3.1 times higher than that among women (23.5% vs. 7.5%; p < 0.01). The highest rates of current smoking with hypercholesterolemia were in the 35- to 44-year and 45- to 54-year groups of men (32.2% and 31.8%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The data demonstrated a relatively high rate (32.1%) of coexistence of two independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease (hypercholesterolemia and current smoking) among men 35 to 54 years of age from Lithuanian military personnel.
Vaicaitiene
Ramute
R
Department of Preventive Health Care Programs, Military Medical Service, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Vytauto 49, Kaunas, Lithuania LT-44331.
Cerniauskiene
Liucija Rita
LR
Luksiene
Dalia Ieva
DI
Margeviciene
Lilija
L
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires