Ten-year cardiovascular risk in the general public of Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major health issue in Hong Kong and has become the second leading cause of death since the 1960s. The prevalence of CHD and its mortality in Hong Kong are approaching a level that requires focused attention. Unfortunately, CHD could be a silent disease until the manifestations occur. Early detection and control of cardiovascular risk factors including cholesterol and blood pressure are vital. OBJECTIVE: The current project aimed to investigate the 10-year cardiovascular risk in the general public of Hong Kong. DESIGN: A 12-month prospective cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PATIENTS: General public of Hong Kong between April 2007 and April 2008. INTERVENTION: Public screening of lipid panels and blood pressure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Estimation of 10-year cardiovascular risk. RESULTS: During this period, a total of 2607 patients were recruited with a mean age of 46.4±11.1 years (51.3% male), and 8.1% of subjects were active smokers. Among all of the subjects, the mean total cholesterol was 5.42±1.28 mmol/l, and the mean high density cholesterol was 1.59±0.75 mmol/l. The mean systolic blood pressure was 121.7±19.5 mm Hg. The assessment of the 10-year cardiovascular risk showed that 13.8% of the subjects were moderately high to high-risk patients. CONCLUSION: The general public in Hong Kong had a relatively high total cholesterol and normal-high systolic blood pressure. Almost two in every 10 Hong Kong citizens may have a 10-20% or more than 20% risk of developing CHD in the next 10 years.