[Prevalence survey of cardiovascular risk factors in the general population in St. Louis (Senegal)]. / Enquête de prévalence des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire en population générale à Saint-Louis (Sénégal).

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are becoming with their risk factors a real health problem in Africa. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in the general population in Saint-Louis, Senegal. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical made in May 2010, in the Senegalese aged 15, residing in the city of Saint-Louis, Senegal. A systematic random sampling and stratified cluster has been achieved. Cardiovascular risk factors for research were: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: The survey involved 1424 individuals with 983 women (69%). The average age was 43.4±17.8years. The prevalence of risk factors was: hypertension (46%), diabetes (10.4%), total cholesterol (36.3%), hyperLDLcholesterol (20.6%), obesity (body mass index≥30kg/m(2)) (23%), abdominal obesity (48.7% according to International Diabetes Federation and 33.2% according to National Cholesterol Education Program) physical inactivity (64.7%), smoking (5.8%) and metabolic syndrome (15.7%). There was predominance in women of risk factors except for smoking and diabetes. The overall cardiovascular risk was high in 24.9% according to the Framingham model, 28.8% (European Society of Hypertension) and 6.1% (SCORE). CONCLUSION: This survey found a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in a general population in Senegal, predominant in women. This should lead to better develop a strategy to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

[Screening for asymptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease of the lower limbs by measuring the ankle-brachial index in the general population (Senegal)]. / Dépistage de l'artériopathie oblitérante asymptomatique des membres inférieurs par la mesure de l'index de pression systolique dans la population générale de Saint-Louis (Sénégal).

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAOD) and cardiovascular risk factors associated with the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in Senegalese patients aged 40 years and over. METHODOLOGY: We prospectively studied a random sample of Senegalese aged 40 years and older, residing in the city of St.-Louis, Senegal. The ABI was measured with a portable doppler (DIADOP 50) using 4 and 8Hz dual frequency probes. The standards were: normal ABI 0.9 to 1.3; peripheral artery obstructive disease (PAOD) ABI less than 0.9; incompressible artery ABI greater than 1.3. Cardiovascular risk factors were also studied. RESULTS: Seven hundred and seventy-one subjects (mean age 57 ± 11.2 years, 559 women) were examined. Cardiovascular risk factors were: sedentary lifestyle (76.4%), hypertension (68%), obesity (32.1%), elevated LDL-cholesterolemia (27.8%), diabetes (18.3%) and tobacco smoking (6.9%). Ninety-three subjects (12.1%) had PAOD and 37 subjects (4.8%) had an incompressible artery. PAOD was significantly more common in sedentary subjects (P=0.008), in the elderly (P=0.0006) and in patients with a history of coronary artery disease (P=0.04). Smoking was not strongly associated with PAOD. CONCLUSION: PAOD is common in Senegalese and is associated with high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.