Lviv clinical bulletin 2013, 3(3): 45-48

https://doi.org/10.25040/lkv2013.03.045

High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease of the Population of Ukraine: Sentence or a Starting Point

I. Gorbas

National Scientific Center “M.D. Strazhesko Institute of Cardiology” MAS of Ukraine

Introduction. Сardiovascular diseases are the cause of the global socio-economic losses of the population of many countries of the world, including Ukraine. These diseases determine the level of total mortality of all the population of our country by 66.0 % and the mortality of able-bodied population by 30.0 %.

Aim. To make an overview of modern literature and describe our own results on the issue of high cardiovascular risk of the population of Ukraine.

Materials and methods. The content analysis, method of system and comparative analysis, the bibliosemantic method of research of the actual scientific researches, own studies concerning the problem of high cardiovascular risk of the population of Ukraine was used.

Results. Apparently, the epidemic of circulatory system diseases is largely provoked by the wrong way of life and the consequent physiological risk factors. Reduced levels of risk factors are accompanied by a reduction in the incidence and mortality of the population.

Lifestyle-dependent factors include smoking, unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity and alcohol abuse. Their curbing will contribute to reducing individual risk by influencing the biologic factors such as excess body weight and obesity, arterial hypertension, impaired fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

In Ukraine, over the past 30 years, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among the population has increased by 3.5 times, and mortality rate from them – by 46.0%. Our research made it possible to determine the risk profile of the population, to study its dynamics, to estimate the scale of the problem, and to determine the priority directions of medical science and practice.

One of the most important risk factors for the development of circulatory system diseases is arterial hypertension. It is precisely that it is a leading factor in the risk of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases, which in 89.0% determine the level of cardiovascular mortality of an adult and in 74.0% – the labor-free population of Ukraine.

Smoking is the largest contributor to the mortality rate in Ukraine. Among males, the prevalence of this harmful habit dramatically decreases from 59.0% in 18-24 years to 29.0% in the age group 55-64, mainly due to deterioration of the health and the occurrence of diseases. Among women, smoking is most common in the 18-24 age group (38.0%), then its frequency decreases to 6.0%.

According to our observations, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia is determined among the population of Ukraine: 46.0% of men and 61.0% of women need the appropriate preventive interventions; in 30.0% of men and 43.0% of women, the level of total cholesterol in the blood varies from 5.2 to 6.2 mmol/l, and in every sixth one, regardless of sex (16.0% of men and 18, 0% of women), its content is equal to or greater than 6.2 mmol/l. With the age, the incidence of hypercholesterolemia gradually increases; in the age group of 55-64 this risk factor is almost three times more likely than among people 18-24 years old.

In Ukraine, the average level of total cholesterol in the blood is quite high, amounting to 5.2 ± 0.03 mmol/l in men and 5.7 ± 0.04 mmol/l in women.

Providing a coherent and long-term policy aimed at creating of a supportive environment of health, improving the quality and life expectancy of citizens, increasing the motivation and responsibility of people for their health, controlling the risk factors will help to reduce the prevalence of the factors that lead to the emergence of cardiovascular diseases and their progression among the population, and, consequently, to reduce the premature mortality and improve the demographic situation in the country.

Conclusions. It has been proved the connection between the development, progress and premature mortality from these diseases and the certain risk factors, and that is why the prevention, reduction of frequency and levels of these factors will be instrumental in the decline of morbidity and premature mortality of the population.

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