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. 2008 Dec;49(6):783-91.
doi: 10.3325/cmj.2008.49.783.

Cardiovascular risk assessment of Bulgarian urban population: cross-sectional study

Mariana Dyakova  1 , Elena Shipkovenska, Peter Dyakov, Plamen Dimitrov, Svetla Torbova
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Cardiovascular risk assessment of Bulgarian urban population: cross-sectional study

Mariana Dyakova et al. Croat Med J. 2008 Dec.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Aim: To assess the total cardiovascular risk of the Bulgarian urban population.

Methods: A representative sample of Bulgarian urban population (n=3810, response rate 68.3%) from five Bulgarian cities was included in a cross-sectional observation study performed in the period 2005-2007. A detailed cardiovascular risk assessment was performed by general practitioners and a total 10-year risk of a fatal cardiovascular event was estimated according to the European Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE, HeartScore.

Results: There were 48.7% of participants in the high risk group (SCORE > or =5%), 24.3% aged 45-54 and more than half aged 55-64 years. Nearly a quarter of the sample had a total cardiovascular risk of over 10% (SCORE > or =10%), whereas 10.1% of the sample had excessively high cardiovascular risk (SCORE > or =15%). In the 65-75 age group, the prevalence of men with excessively high risk was 46.6%, compared with 6.0% in women (P<0.001). Most of the main cardiovascular risk factors were slightly increased or borderline in comparison with clinical thresholds.

Conclusions: Cardiovascular risk is high in a large proportion of Bulgarian urban population, especially in men aged over 65. These findings indicate that a comprehensive national strategy and program for management of cardiovascular diseases is urgently needed. The SCORE method can be well implemented if a higher threshold for a high risk group is defined and smaller target population is planned for extensive and expensive high risk preventive measures.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of the participants through the study. Abbreviations: GP – general practitioner; CVD – cardiovascular diseases.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Total cardiovascular risk (SCORE – Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation; ref. 13) in women. Horizontal-line bars, ≥15; closed bars, 10-14; gray bars, 5-9; open bars, 2-4; diagonal-line bars, ≤1.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Total cardiovascular risk (SCORE – Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation; ref. 13) in men. Horizontal-line bars, ≥15; closed bars, 10-14; gray bars 5-9; open bars, 2-4; diagonal-line bars, ≤1.
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References

    1. National Statistical Institute. Sofia. Deaths by causes in 2006. Available from: http://www.nsi.bg/SocialActivities_e/Health.htm Accessed: August 22, 2008.
    1. National Statistical Institute. Sofia. Bulgaria 2006 – socio-economic development. Available from: http://www.nsi.bg/Public_e/BG_2006_SIR_en.pdf Accessed: August 24, 2008.
    1. Shipkovenska E. Cardiovascular risk – a problem with many unknowns, Sofia Heart Study [In Bulgarian]. Sofia: Filvest; 2004.
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