Younger age of escalation of cardiovascular risk factors in Asian Indian subjects.
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular risk factors start early, track through the young age and manifest in middle age in most societies. We conducted epidemiological studies to determine prevalence and age-specific trends in cardiovascular risk factors among adolescent and young urban Asian Indians.


METHODS
Population based epidemiological studies to identify cardiovascular risk factors were performed in North India in 1999-2002. We evaluated major risk factors-smoking or tobacco use, obesity, truncal obesity, hypertension, dysglycemia and dyslipidemia using pre-specified definitions in 2051 subjects (male 1009, female 1042) aged 15-39 years of age. Age-stratified analyses were performed and significance of trends determined using regression analyses for numerical variables and Chi2 test for trend for categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to identify univariate and multivariate odds ratios (OR) for correlation of age and risk factors.


RESULTS
In males and females respectively, smoking or tobacco use was observed in 200 (11.8%) and 18 (1.4%), overweight or obesity (body mass index, BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) in 12.4% and 14.3%, high waist-hip ratio, WHR (males > 0.9, females > 0.8) in 15% and 32.3%, hypertension in 5.6% and 3.1%, high LDL cholesterol (> or = 130 mg/dl) in 9.4% and 8.9%, low HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dl males, <50 mg/dl females) in 16.2% and 49.7%, hypertriglyceridemia (> or = 150 mg/dl) in 9.7% and 6%, diabetes in 1.0% and 0.4% and the metabolic syndrome in 3.4% and 3.6%. Significantly increasing trends with age for indices of obesity (BMI, waist, WHR), glycemia (fasting glucose, metabolic syndrome) and lipids (cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol) were observed (p for trend < 0.01). At age 15-19 years the prevalence (%) of risk factors in males and females, respectively, was overweight/obesity in 7.6, 8.8; high WHR 4.9, 14.4; hypertension 2.3, 0.3; high LDL cholesterol 2.4, 3.2; high triglycerides 3.0, 3.2; low HDL cholesterol 8.0, 45.3; high total:HDL ratio 3.7, 4.7, diabetes 0.0 and metabolic syndrome in 0.0, 0.2 percent. At age groups 20-29 years in males and females, ORs were, for smoking 5.3, 1.0; obesity 1.6, 0.8; truncal obesity 4.5, 3.1; hypertension 2.6, 4.8; high LDL cholesterol 6.4, 1.8; high triglycerides 3.7, 0.9; low HDL cholesterol 2.4, 0.8; high total:HDL cholesterol 1.6, 1.0; diabetes 4.0, 1.0; and metabolic syndrome 37.7, 5.7 (p < 0.05 for some). At age 30-39, ORs were- smoking 16.0, 6.3; overweight 7.1, 11.3; truncal obesity 21.1, 17.2; hypertension 13.0, 64.0; high LDL cholesterol 27.4, 19.5; high triglycerides 24.2, 10.0; low HDL cholesterol 15.8, 14.1; high total:HDL cholesterol 37.9, 6.10; diabetes 50.7, 17.4; and metabolic syndrome 168.5, 146.2 (p < 0.01 for all parameters). Multivariate adjustment for BMI, waist size and WHR in men and women aged 30-39 years resulted in attenuation of ORs for hypertension and dyslipidemias.


CONCLUSIONS
Low prevalence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemias, diabetes and metabolic syndrome) in adolescents and rapid escalation of these risk factors by age of 30-39 years is noted in urban Asian Indians. Interventions should focus on these individuals.
Gupta
Rajeev
R
Department of Medicine, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur 302017, India. rajeevg@satyam.net.in
Misra
Anoop
A
Vikram
Naval K
NK
Kondal
Dimple
D
Gupta
Shaon Sen
SS
Agrawal
Aachu
A
Pandey
R M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D044882:Glucose Metabolism Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D007194:India; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014504:Urban Health; D055815:Young Adult