Prevalence and awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors in the Government servants of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir

Muhammad Abbasi, Wajid Aziz, Nazneen Habib, Huda Saleem, Atif Abbasi

1 Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) Muzaffarabad, (AK) Pakistan,13100; Departments of 2Computer Sciences and Information Technology, 3 Sociology and Rural Development, and 5 Statistics City Campus AJK University Muzaffarabad (AK) Pakistan, 13100; 4Rawalpindi Medical College Pakistan.

Corresponding Author’s email: kh_wajid@yahoo.com

Abstract :

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is leading cause of mortality in the developing countries. This study was to determine the prevalence and awareness of risk factors for CAD in apparently healthy Government servants employed in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Secretariat Muzaffarabad. A cross-sectional community based survey was conducted involving 515 Government servants. The prevalence of CAD risk factors was assessed on the basis of questionnaire and medical examination. The self-reported risk factors, blood pressure and anthropometric data were recorded. Blood samples were obtained for laboratory investigation of blood sugar and cholesterol. Chi square test was used to find the association of different risk factors with hypertension. The odds ratios were calculated by applying multivariate logistic regression. Physical inactivity (53.98%) was the most dominant risk factor in the study group. The prevalence of hypertension on questionnaire was 16.3% and on medical examination was 21.94%; 32.62% were overweight or obese; 33.20% were smoking and 49.90% have exposure to cigarette; 31.68% of urban and 49.80% rural population employees had no CAD risk factors; 32.58% urban and 17.79% of rural population had more than two CAD risk factors. The most prevalent risk factors of CAD in our study population were physical inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, hypertension, smoking and its exposure. Most of the government servants in AJK were aware of the major CAD risk factors. CAD was more prevalent in the employees of the urban community.