Associations of cardiovascular risk factors in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
BACKGROUND
Over the last 30 years the citizens of the United Arab Emirates have experienced major changes in life-style secondary to increased affluence. Currently, 1 in 5 adults have diabetes mellitus, but the associations (clustering) among risk factors, as well as the relevance of the concept of the metabolic syndrome, in this population is unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and associations among cardiovascular risk factors in this population, and explore to what extent associations can be explained by the metabolic syndrome according to ATP-III criteria.


METHODS
A community based survey, of conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease was conducted among 817 national residents of Al Ain city, UAE. These factors were fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, lipid profile, BMI, waist circumference, smoking, or CHD family history. Odds ratios between risks factors, both unadjusted and adjusted for age and sex as well as adjusted for age, sex, and metabolic syndrome were calculated.


RESULTS
Various risk factors were positively associated in this population; associations that are mostly unexplained by confounding by age and sex. For example, hypertension and diabetes were still strongly related (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.7-3.7) after adjustment. An increased waist circumference showed similar relationship with hypertension (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.5-3.5). Diabetes was related to an increased BMI (OR 1.5; 96% CI 1.0-2.3). Smoking was also associated with diabetes (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0-3.3).Further adjustment for metabolic syndrome reduced some associations but several remained.


CONCLUSIONS
In this population risk-factors cluster, but associations do not appear to be explained by the presence/absence of the ATP-III metabolic syndrome. Associations provide valuable information in planning interventions for screening and management.
Al Ain Primary Health Care, Eastern Region Abu Dhabi Emirate, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. latifa.mohammad@gmail.com
Latifa M
LM
Baynouna
Anthony D
AD
Revel
Nico J D
NJ
Nagelkerke
Tariq M
TM
Jaber
Aziza O
AO
Omar
Nader M
NM
Ahmed
Mohammad K
MK
Nazirudeen
Mamdouh F
MF
Al Sayed
Fuad A
FA
Nour
Sameh
S
Abdouni
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult