Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
1010539509343973v1
21/4/410    most recent
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Chia Yook Chin
Right arrow Articles by Pengal, S.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Chia Yook Chin,
Right arrow Articles by Pengal, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Cardiovascular Disease Risk in a Semirural Community in Malaysia

Chia Yook Chin, MBBS, FRCP

Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, chiayc{at}um.edu.my

Srinivas Pengal, MBBS, FRCP

Department of Medicine, Gleneagles Hospital, Penang Malaysia

Background and aim. It has been argued that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not very prevalent in developing countries, particularly in a rural community. This study examined the prevalence of CVD risk of a semirural community in Malaysia through an epidemiological survey. Methods. Subjects were invited to a free health screening service carried out over a period of 6 weeks. Then, a follow-up study of the initial nonresponders was done in the villages that showed a poorer response. The survey was conducted using a standardized questionnaire. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg. The Framingham Coronary Disease Risk Prediction Score (FRS) was used as a measure of CVD risk. Results. A total of 1417 subjects participated in this survey. The response rate was 56%. A follow-up survey of the nonresponders did not show any differences from the initial responders in any systematic way. The prevalence of CVD risk factors was high in both men and women. The mean (±SD) FRS was 9.4 (±2.5) and 11.3 (±4.1) for men and women, respectively. The mean predicted coronary heart disease (CHD) risk was high at 20% to 25% for men and medium at 11% to 13% for women. Overall, 55.8% of the men had >20% risk of having a CHD event in the next 10 years whereas women’s risk was lower, with 15.1% having a risk of ≥20%. Conclusion. The prevalence of CVD risk even in a semirural community of a developing country is high. Every effort should be made to lower these risk factors.

Key Words: epidemiology • prevalence • cardiovascular disease • prediction • risk • rural community • developing country

This version was published on October 1, 2009

Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, Vol. 21, No. 4, 410-420 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1010539509343973
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Asia Pac J Public HealthHome page
W. Y. Low
Diversity in Public Health Issues
Asia Pac J Public Health, October 1, 2009; 21(4): 357 - 358.
[PDF]