A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI)
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rural sub-Saharan Africa is at an early stage of economic and health transition. It is predicted that the 21<sup>st </sup>century will see a serious added economic burden from non-communicable disease including vascular d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2007-11-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/326 |
| _version_ | 1818474531634806784 |
|---|---|
| author | Tollman Stephen Connor Myles Thorogood Margaret Lewando Hundt Gillian Fowkes Gerry Marsh Jennifer |
| author_facet | Tollman Stephen Connor Myles Thorogood Margaret Lewando Hundt Gillian Fowkes Gerry Marsh Jennifer |
| author_sort | Tollman Stephen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rural sub-Saharan Africa is at an early stage of economic and health transition. It is predicted that the 21<sup>st </sup>century will see a serious added economic burden from non-communicable disease including vascular disease in low-income countries as they progress through the transition. The stage of vascular disease in a population is thought to result from the prevalence of vascular risk factors. Already hypertension and stroke are common in adults in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a multidisciplinary approach we aimed to assess the prevalence of several vascular risk factors in Agincourt, a rural demographic surveillance site in South Africa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed a cross sectional random sample survey of adults aged over 35 in Agincourt (population ≈ 70 000). Participants were visited at home by a trained nurse who administered a questionnaire, carried out clinical measurements and took a blood sample. From this we assessed participants' history of vascular risk, blood pressure using an OMRON 705 CP monitor, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), ankle brachial index (ABI), and total and HDL cholesterol.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>402 people (24% men) participated. There was a high prevalence of smoking in men, but the number of cigarettes smoked was small. There was a striking difference in mean BMI between men and women (22.8 kg/m<sup>2 </sup>versus 27.2 kg/m<sup>2</sup>), but levels of blood pressure were very similar. 43% of participants had a blood pressure greater than 140/90 or were on anti-hypertensive treatment and 37% of participants identified with measured high blood pressure were on pharmacological treatment. 12% of participants had an ABI of < 0.9, sugesting the presence of sub-clinical atheroma. 25.6% of participants had a total cholesterol level > 5 mmol/l.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found a high prevalence of hypertension, obesity in women, and a suggestion of subclinical atheroma despite relatively favourable cholesterol levels in a rural South African population. South Africa is facing the challenge of an emerging epidemic of vascular disease. Research to establish the social determinates of these risk factors and interventions to reduce both individual and population risk are required.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:38:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c5023f3da7064a95afdabe20af72bc90 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:38:23Z |
| publishDate | 2007-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c5023f3da7064a95afdabe20af72bc902022-12-22T02:11:47ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582007-11-017132610.1186/1471-2458-7-326A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI)Tollman StephenConnor MylesThorogood MargaretLewando Hundt GillianFowkes GerryMarsh Jennifer<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rural sub-Saharan Africa is at an early stage of economic and health transition. It is predicted that the 21<sup>st </sup>century will see a serious added economic burden from non-communicable disease including vascular disease in low-income countries as they progress through the transition. The stage of vascular disease in a population is thought to result from the prevalence of vascular risk factors. Already hypertension and stroke are common in adults in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a multidisciplinary approach we aimed to assess the prevalence of several vascular risk factors in Agincourt, a rural demographic surveillance site in South Africa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed a cross sectional random sample survey of adults aged over 35 in Agincourt (population ≈ 70 000). Participants were visited at home by a trained nurse who administered a questionnaire, carried out clinical measurements and took a blood sample. From this we assessed participants' history of vascular risk, blood pressure using an OMRON 705 CP monitor, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), ankle brachial index (ABI), and total and HDL cholesterol.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>402 people (24% men) participated. There was a high prevalence of smoking in men, but the number of cigarettes smoked was small. There was a striking difference in mean BMI between men and women (22.8 kg/m<sup>2 </sup>versus 27.2 kg/m<sup>2</sup>), but levels of blood pressure were very similar. 43% of participants had a blood pressure greater than 140/90 or were on anti-hypertensive treatment and 37% of participants identified with measured high blood pressure were on pharmacological treatment. 12% of participants had an ABI of < 0.9, sugesting the presence of sub-clinical atheroma. 25.6% of participants had a total cholesterol level > 5 mmol/l.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found a high prevalence of hypertension, obesity in women, and a suggestion of subclinical atheroma despite relatively favourable cholesterol levels in a rural South African population. South Africa is facing the challenge of an emerging epidemic of vascular disease. Research to establish the social determinates of these risk factors and interventions to reduce both individual and population risk are required.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/326 |
| spellingShingle | Tollman Stephen Connor Myles Thorogood Margaret Lewando Hundt Gillian Fowkes Gerry Marsh Jennifer A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI) BMC Public Health |
| title | A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI) |
| title_full | A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI) |
| title_fullStr | A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI) |
| title_short | A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population: data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI) |
| title_sort | cross sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural south african population data from the southern african stroke prevention initiative saspi |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/326 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tollmanstephen acrosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT connormyles acrosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT thorogoodmargaret acrosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT lewandohundtgillian acrosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT fowkesgerry acrosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT marshjennifer acrosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT tollmanstephen crosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT connormyles crosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT thorogoodmargaret crosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT lewandohundtgillian crosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT fowkesgerry crosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi AT marshjennifer crosssectionalstudyofvascularriskfactorsinaruralsouthafricanpopulationdatafromthesouthernafricanstrokepreventioninitiativesaspi |