Age- and gender-specific awareness, treatment, and control of cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical vascular lesions in a founder population: The SardiNIA Study

Scuteri, A.; Najjar, S.S.; Orru', M.; Albai, G.; Strait, J.; Tarasov, K.V.; Piras, M.G.; Cao, A.; Schlessinger, D.; Uda, M.; Lakatta, E.G.

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2008.11.004

« Previous Next »Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases
Volume 19, Issue 8 , Pages 532-541, October 2009

Age- and gender-specific awareness, treatment, and control of cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical vascular lesions in a founder population: The SardiNIA Study

A. Scuteri
- UO Geriatria, INRCA, IRCCS, Via Cassia 1167, 00189 Rome, Italy
- Corresponding author. Fax: +39 06 3036 2896.
S.S. Najjar
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
M. Orru'
- INN, CNR, Cagliari, Italy
G. Albai
- INN, CNR, Cagliari, Italy
J. Strait
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
K.V. Tarasov
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
M.G. Piras
- INN, CNR, Cagliari, Italy
A. Cao
- INN, CNR, Cagliari, Italy
D. Schlessinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
M. Uda
- INN, CNR, Cagliari, Italy
E.G. Lakatta
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA

Received 9 July 2008; received in revised form 9 September 2008; accepted 7 November 2008. published online 26 March 2009.

Abstract

Aim

We investigated the gender-specific control of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and subclinical vascular lesions in a founder population in Italy.

Methods and Results

6148 subjects were enrolled (aged 14–102years) from four towns. Hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM) and dyslipidemia (LIP) were defined in accordance with guidelines. A self-reported diagnosis defined awareness of these conditions, and the current use of specific medications as treatment.

Prevalence was HT 29.2%, DM 4.8%, LIP 44.1% and was higher in men than in women. Disease prevalence increased with age for every CV risk factor. Men were less likely than women to take anti-HT drugs and to reach BP control (9.9% vs. 16%). Only 17.6% of HT >65years had a BP ≤140/90mmHg, though 48.5% were treated. The use of statins was very low (<1/3 of eligible subjects >65years, those with the highest treatment rate). The ratio of control-to-treated HT was lower in subjects with, than in those without, thicker carotid arteries (31.5% vs. 38.8%, p<0.05) or stiffer aortas (26.0% vs. 40.0%, p<0.05) or carotid plaques (26.3% vs. 41.1%, p<0.05).