title: Characteristics of metabolic and lifestyle risk factors in young Japanese patients with coronary heart disease: a comparison with older patients.
abstract: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is recognized as a lifestyle-related disease and is the second leading cause of death in Japan. However, the cardiac risk factor profile of young patients with CHD has not been clarified in suburban areas of Japan. Our study aimed to determine metabolic and lifestyle risk factors in young patients and compare them with older patients living in suburban areas of Nagano Prefecture. A multicenter study was conducted in 86 young (aged less than 40 years) and 91 older (aged 50 years and over) patients diagnosed with CHD from 1992 to 2002. There was a strong association between obesity and the occurrence of CHD events in young patients (odds ratio = 3.61, P = 0.006). Lifestyle in the young patients was characterized by a lack of physical activity and regular physical activity was found to decrease the risk of the CHD events in these patients (odds ratio = 0.31, P = 0.030). In older patients, hypertension was identified as an independent risk factor for CHD events. The results of the present study have demonstrated that obesity and a lack of regular physical exercise are independent risk factors for CHD events in younger patients. Thus, the data may be useful for the effective screening of high-risk individuals and the development of educational programs for the prevention of CHD, especially in younger Japanese.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Shinshu University School of Health Sciences, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azegami
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hongo
authors.forename: Setsuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Akie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Kesami
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazaki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000209:etiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000150:complications; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects