Hypercholesterolemia and other risk factors of coronary artery disease among patients of primary health care centers [phccs] in southwest Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

In order to address the magnitude of hypercholesterolemia and other risk factors of coronary artery disease [CAD], 1094 patients [55% males and 45% females] aged between 20-70 years attending primary health care centers [PHCCs] in Southwest Saudi Arabia were screened. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the screened sample was 23.14%, hypertension 11.0%, diabetes mellitus 27.1%,and 5.3% of the sample smoked cigarettes. Stratification of participants into 4 different risk groups was done according to the American National Cholesterol Education Program II [NCEP II]. The results indicate four main points. Significant difference in some lipoproteins were observed between males and females particularly for TC/HDL-c. ratio [with a lower females ratio]; overall 43% of the sample is at moderate or high risk of CAD; TC, LDL-c ratio significantly increased with risk of CAD. Although stratification of the risk groups is a good model, yet using TC/HDL-c ratio risk threshold detects even more of those who are at high risk [66%]. The overall magnitude of risk factors among our sample was relatively high and calls for an active intervention plan at the primary care level