Risk Factors and Hypertension in Cyprus

M. Ioannides, G. Papageorgiou, C. J. Anastassiades

Limassol General Hospital - Internal Medicine Departement

Limassol - Cyprus

 

Introduction: The aim of this study is to assess the role of enviromental factors, lipids and diabetes mellitus in hypertensive Cypriots.

Method: We studied 173 patients with essential hypertension, 90 men - 83 women, aged 19 - 74 years old. We examined the following factors: Smoking, level of exersise, body mass index (B.M.I.), history of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia, salt intake, personality type, education, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerites (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and apoproteins A and B (ApoA, ApoB) (1).

Results:

Risk Factors

Patients No

%

Male/Fle

 

Lipids

Patients No

%

Male/Fle

Smoking

45 yes

34 ex

94 no

26

20

54

39 / 6

28 / 6

23 / 71

 

TC - TG

31 >220 - >175

65 >220 - <175

7 <220 - >175

32 <220 - <175

23

48

5

24

20 / 11

30 / 35

6 / 1

12 / 20

Exersise

156 no

11 moderate

6 intessive

90

6

4

76 / 80

9 / 2

5 / 1

 

 

103 ( 96 - 38 )

32

76

24

56 / 47

12 / 20

 

B.M.I.

135 >27

38 <27

78

22

75 / 60

15 / 23

 

Total

135

100

68 / 67

History of

Diab. Mellitus

9 yes

3 subclinical

161 no

5

2

93

8 / 1

0 / 3

82 / 79

 

 

 

 

 

History of

Lipidaemia

60 yes

113 no

35

65

34 / 26

56 / 57

 

HDL - LDL

31 <40 - >140

9 <40 - <140

63 >40 - >140

21 >40 - <140

25

7

51

17

24 / 7

9 / 0

24 / 39

5 / 16

Salt Intake

15 high

53 moderate

105 low

9

30

61

8 / 7

31 / 22

51 / 54

 

 

103 ( 40 - 94 )

21

 

83

17

57 / 46

5 / 16

Personality Type

90 A

20 X

63 B

52

12

36

49 / 41

10 / 10

31 / 32

 

ApoA -ApoB

17 <120 - >114

4 <120 - <114

68 >120 - >114

35 >120 - <114

14

3

55

28

14 / 3

4 / 0

34 / 34

10 / 25

Education

22 high

39 secondary

65 primary

47 no

13

22

38

27

14 / 8

26 / 13

26 / 39

24 / 23

 

 

89 ( 21 - 85 )

35

72

28

52 / 37

10 / 25

Total

173 patients

100

90 / 83

 

Total

124

100

62 / 62

 

Conclusions: Overweight, smoking, inactivity and anxiety are enviromental factors found to be increased in hypertensive Cypriots. High lipid profile was found in over 70% of the patients. In 39% of the patients salt intake was moterate to high despite advice to the contrary. We conclude that the hypertesive Cypriot needs further education and advice.

(1) Braunwald E. Association of hypertension with other conditins. Heart disease a text book of cardiovascular medicine. 1988, Vol. I, 837 - 838.