The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors of Hong Kong Chinese

Background. In Hong Kong, the prevalence of cardiovascular heart disease (CHD) increased from 38.6% in 1972 to 59.4% in 1992 and has become an area of concern. The present study intended to identify the CHD risk factors of 18-60 year old Hong Kong Chinese and recommend primary prevention programmes accordingly. Methods. Subjects (N=1432) were systemically recruited from community and sports centres in urban and rural districts in order to balance the effects of age, gender and economic status. Eight major CHD factors were identified and criteria used for classifying them as high risk were as follows: High blood pressure (SBP: Over 160 mmHg or DBP: Over 95 mmHg); total blood cholesterol (over 6.2 mmol/L) or high density lipoprotein (HDL) under 0.9 mmol/L; cigarette smoking; overweight (BMI over 27.5, or percent body fat over 25 for men and 30 for women); exercise habit (no exercise or exercise less than once per week); alcohol consumption (over 6 drinks or 90 ml ethanol per week); diabetes mellitus; and family history (one or both parents died of CHD before the age of 60 years). All testings and data collection were conducted at the laboratory in 1997-98. Differences in the prevalence of CHD risk factors due to age and gender were then investigated. Results. It was found that the percentages of subjects with high risk factors were substantially lower than those reported in other countries e.g., Australia and the People's Republic of China. The prevalence of CHD risk factors increased with age and it was also higher in the male subjects. There were more men with three or more CHD risk factors than women (23.5 vs 9.9%). Conclusions. It was suggested that the Hong Kong SAR Government should launch primary prevention programmes to eliminate the five behaviour-related CHD risk factors identified in the present study and monitor their prevalence in the future.