title: Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Young Urban Women.
abstract: Although young women are presumed to have low cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and mortality, the mortality benefits secondary to ischemic heart disease have plateaued among young women, <50 years.
  
  
  
  Women, 18-49 years (n = 595) among all participants (n = 1,045) in the Columbia University Heart Health in Action Study, were assessed for CVD risk burden, that is, presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, current tobacco use, hyperlipidemia, physical inactivity, and/or obesity. Anthropometrics (height, weight, waist circumference, and body mass index [BMI]); demographics; socioeconomic status, CVD risk factors, body size perception; knowledge and awareness of CV disease; and attitudes toward lifestyle perception were determined.
  
  
  
  Most were Hispanic (64.0%); non-Hispanic white (20.0%); or non-Hispanic black (8.7%), age = 35.9 ± 8.0 years. BMI was categorized as obese (≥30 kg/m2, 27.0%; 160/592); overweight (25.0-29.1 kg/m2, 29.1%; 172/592); normal weight (18.5-24.9, 41.7%; 247/592); and underweight (≤18.4; 2.2%; 13/592). More than half (57.9%; 337/582) had CVD risks: 45.9% (267/582) had >1 CVD risk factor exclusive of obesity, including physical inactivity (18.4%), hypertension (17.2%), hyperlipidemia (11.3%), current tobacco use (9.8%), and diabetes (5.6%). Regardless of CVD risk burden, most knew blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Women with increased CVD risk burden, however, were less likely to correctly identify body size (53.3% vs. 66.1%, p = 0.002). Obese and overweight women with CVD risk factors exclusive of obesity were more likely to cite cost (23.4% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.003) and fatigue (32.2% vs. 18.8%, p = 0.006) as barriers to weight loss.
  
  
  
  Among these young women, the majority had CVD risks and the CVD risk burden is high among young women, particularly among the overweight and obese and physically inactive. Strategies to encourage healthy lifestyles and reduce CVD risk factors among this vulnerable at-risk population are vital.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Center for Women's Health, Columbia University Medical Center , New York, New York.|Presented-in-part at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition , Physical Activity and Metabolism, March 6, 2015.
authors.forename: Elsa-Grace V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Giardina
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Center for Women's Health, Columbia University Medical Center , New York, New York.|Presented-in-part at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition , Physical Activity and Metabolism, March 6, 2015.
authors.forename: Tracy K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Center for Women's Health, Columbia University Medical Center , New York, New York.|Presented-in-part at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition , Physical Activity and Metabolism, March 6, 2015.
authors.forename: Dena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Center for Women's Health, Columbia University Medical Center , New York, New York.|Presented-in-part at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition , Physical Activity and Metabolism, March 6, 2015.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Sciacca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D000070497:Healthy Lifestyle; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cardiovascular health; health disparities; obesity