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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Bassem Maximos, MPH1, Theresa J. McCann, PhD, MPH1, Lennox K. Archibald, MBBS, DTM&H2, and Zulfiqarali Gulam-Abbas, MD, MMed3. (1) School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, St. George's University, P.O. Box 7, University Centre, St. George's, Grenada, 473-444-4175, bmaximos@hotmail.com, (2) Hospital Infections Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop E-69, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, (3) Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 21361, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke account for 12 million deaths a year. The prevalence of risk factors for CHD in a Muslim population residing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was assessed using a community-based survey. A total of 243 subjects (134 men and 109 women) aged 20 and higher participated in the study. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride level, blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension, smoking, obesity and overweight, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes, as well as CHD were the main outcome measures for the study. Mean serum total cholesterol levels in men were 4.96 mmol/l [Range: 1.3-7.3], and in women 4.74 mmol/l [Range: 2.7-8.1]. Serum cholesterol levels were abnormal (>5.2 mmol/l) in 42% of the men and 35% of the women (p=NS). Serum concentration of triglyceride was abnormal (>2.1 mmol/l) in 28% of the men and 45% of women (p<0.01). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased with age for both men and women. Overall, hypertension was reported in 12% of the men and 15% of the women. Cigarette smoking was reported in 54.5% of men while none was reported in women. Overweight or obesity (BMI >25) was found in 58.9% of men and 78% of women (p <0.01). Glucose intolerance was found in 10.5% of males and 12.5% of females. The prevalence of CHD was 20.2% in men compared to 5.5% in women. These findings suggest that efforts should be made to identify those at greatest risk of CHD and implement preventive measures among Muslim adults in Dar es Salaam.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Heart Disease, Developing Countries
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.