[Trends of main risk factors of coronary heart disease in Kaunas population during 20 years (the data of the MONICA study)]. / Dinamika osnovnykh faktorov riska ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa sredi naseleniia Kaunasa za 20 let (po dannym programy MONIKA).

MONICA (Multinational MONItoring trends and determinants of CArdiovascular diseases) study was carried out in Kaunas in 1983-2002 in four random samples of population aged 35-64 years (overall 3292 men and 3548 women - response rate 65.1%). Over the 20-year period, mean levels of systolic blood pressure (BP) (in men and women), diastolic BP (in women), body mass index (in men and women) decreased while mean levels of total serum cholesterol increased (in men and women). In the final survey as compared with initial survey arterial hypertension (AH) (BP > 140/90 mm Hg) became less prevalent in women (39.4% and 51.3%, p<0.001) and mild hypertension - less prevalent in men (25.9% and 33%, p<0,001). Over the study period, prevalence of mild hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol 5.0-6.49 mmol/l) decreased and prevalence of severe hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol =7.8 mmol/l) increased both in men and women. The prevalence of excessive weight increased in men and the prevalence of obesity increased in women. No statistically significant changes were detected in the prevalence of smoking in men during the study period while in women the prevalence of regular smoking increased (from 4.1% to 11.3%, p 0,001). The observed levels and trends of main risk factors of coronary heart disease require intensification of implementation of primary prevention measures in the studied population.

Prognostic value of body mass index in the development of cardiovascular diseases among Kaunas male population.

The paper presents the results of a primary medical examination and of a prospective, on the average 14-year follow-up study of the male population of Kaunas aged 45-59 years (n = 2452). The prevalence of overweight, according to the WHO criteria, was 48.7%, that of obesity 20.5%. With increasing body mass index (BMI) there occurred a statistically significant increase of main risk factors of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and of IHD itself. The results of the prospective study showed a U-shaped relationship between BMI and mortality from all cardiovascular diseases, and a J-shaped relationship between BMI and mortality from IHD and morbidity of acute myocardial infarction, respectively. The same relationship held true even after standardization of the level of all other risk factors using the multiple logistic function. Thus, the overweight was confirmed as an independent IHD risk factor in the given population.