ASSESSMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Objective: To evaluate cardiovascular risk factors among male and female undergraduate students. Design and method: Overall 105 undergraduate students aged 18 to 24 years without pre-existing history of cardiovascular disease were included in this cross-sectional study. Both qualitative (interview) and quantitative (physical and laboratory investigations) data variables were collected. Demographic data included age, gender and ethnicity. CVD risk factors were assessed using the LE8 health metrics. Statistical significance was adjusted for p-value of <0.05 and 95% of CI. All statistical analyses were calculated by Stata 16.1, Stata Corp, Texas, USA. Results: Our cohort consisted of 59 (56.1) males and 46 (43.9) females. Median age was 20 (2) years, adjusted by groups (p=0.06). The most prevalent ethnicity was South-Asian (n=58 (55.2)). Anamnestic data did not reveal substantial differences between sexes (p>0.05). Overall, 57 (54.3) of the subjects were not fulfilling the recommended 150 h/wk of PA. Males found to be physically more active than females (34 (54.2) vs. 16 (34.8), p=0.04). Majority of the males tend to be either current or former smokers than females (p=0.001). Sleep and BMI categories were equally distributed by sexes (p=0.88 and p=0.99). Systolic blood pressure was observed in higher values in males than females (110 (10) vs. 110 (5) mm Hg, p=0.02) where diastolic BP was indifferent (p=0.12). Total and non-HDL cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose were comparable between groups without statistical significance (p>0.05). Only HDL was remarkably higher in females than males (46.6 (18.9) vs. 38.6 (8.3) mg/dl, p= 0.001). Conclusions: It is imperative to raise awareness about the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease among young people, particularly students, as they are at a formative stage of developing lifelong habits. Implementing targeted interventions within educational institutions can serve as an effective approach.