title: Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Lithuanian middle-aged subjects participating in the primary prevention program, analysis of the period 2009-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and changes of cardiovascular risk factors in the middle-aged Lithuanian subjects after conducting the primary prevention program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four cross-sectional investigations of cardiovascular risk factors were conducted in 2009 (n = 9625), 2010 (n = 7716), 2011 (n = 5018) and 2012 (n = 4348). The program recruited men aged 40-54 and women aged 50-64 without overt cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the period 2009-2012, the mean number of risk factors significantly increased (from 3.95 to 4.03, p < 0.001), while the numbers of people having metabolic syndrome (from 34.1% to 28.7%; p < 0.001), arterial hypertension (from 60.2% to 54.5%; p < 0.001), the average body mass index (BMI) value (from 29.17 to 28.92 kg/m(2); p = 0.001) and abdominal obesity (from 48.4% to 45.3%; p < 0.001) significantly decreased. The percentage of subjects with dyslipidemia, as well as the average values of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, remained unchanged. The percentage of smoking subjects have significantly increased (from 19.3% to 22.7%; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis showed that the prevalence of arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome and obesity in Lithuania is slowly decreasing while conducting the primary prevention program; however, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking are still hard to manage for both genders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vilnius University , Lithuania.
authors.forename: Aleksandras
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laucevičius
authors.forename: Egidija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rinkūnienė
authors.forename: Agnė
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skujaitė
authors.forename: Žaneta
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Petrulionienė
authors.forename: Roma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puronaitė
authors.forename: Vilma
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dženkevičiūtė
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kasiulevičius
authors.forename: Dalius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jatužis
authors.forename: Ligita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ryliškytė
authors.forename: Rimvydas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Šlapikas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Hypertension; lipids; obesity; primary prevention; risk factors; smoking