title: The prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases among Polish surgical patients over 65 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality among adults in Poland. A number of risk factors have significant influence on CVD incidence. Early identification of risk factors related to our lifestyle facilitates taking proper actions aiming at the reduction of their negative impact on health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of CVD risk factors between patients aged over 65 years and patients of other age groups in surgical wards.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted for assessment and finding the distribution of major risk factors of CVD among 420 patients aged 18-84 years who were hospitalized in surgical wards. Interview, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and fasting blood tests for biochemical analysis were conducted in all subjects. Statistical analysis of the material was performed using Student's t-test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While abdominal obesity (83.3%), overweight and obesity (68%), hypertension (65.1%), hypercholesterolemia (33.3%), and low level of physical activity (29.1%) were the most common CVD risk factors among patients over 65 years old, abdominal obesity (36.2%), overweight and obesity (36.1%), and current smoking were the most common CVD risk factors among patients up to the age of 35. In the age group over 65, the least prevalent risk factors for CVD were diabetes mellitus (14.8%), depressive episodes (13.6%), abuse of alcohol (11.4%), and smoking (7.8%). In the group under 35 years, we have not reported any cases of hypercholesterolemia and a lesser number of patients suffered from diabetes and HTN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distribution of the major risk factors for CVD is quite high in the adult population, especially in the age group over 65, which can result in serious problems of health and increased rates of chronic diseases, especially CVDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nervous System Diseases, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kołtuniuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Nervous System Diseases, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosińczuk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cardiovascular diseases; elderly; risk factors