LIFESTYLE AND TRADITIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS: A SURVEY IN THE URBAN BULGARIAN POPULATION

Objective: According to the 2021 cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention guidelines, Bulgaria is a very high-risk country, having the lowest life expectancy in the European Union mainly due to premature cardiovascular death. The aim of our survey was to evaluate the incidence and awareness of the lifestyle and traditional cardiovascular (CV)risk factors among the urban Bulgarian population. Design and method: We asked1000 citizens (aged between 30 and 60 years, 49% female), about their dietary habits, alcohol and tobacco consumption, physical activity, level of stress and also about their awareness of their blood pressure, lipid and glucose levels. 80% of the survey was online questionnaire and 20% phone call interviews. Quality control was done by GPS tracking, control of the survey duration and 10% phone calls for confirmation. Results: 63% of the responders claimed that they took care of their health and more than 50% regularly attended prophylactic medical examinations. Regarding lifestyle habits, most responders had unhealthy diet, with 45% consuming food high in salt and 35%consuming processed foods, 40% of them smoked and more than 30% drank alcohol every day. 40% of the participants were physically inactive, but among the other 60%, only few achieved the recommended 150 minutes weekly. Level of self-reported stress was high in more than 50% of citizens. Most of the responders claimed that they would try to change their lifestyle only if they got seriously ill, or never. When asked about their CV risk factors, 50% were overweight, 30% knew that they had hypertension, 30% had elevated cholesterol and 25% reported elevated fasting glucose levels. Conclusions: This survey found high level of self-reported lifestyle and traditional CV risk in the urban Bulgarian population, even though. The majority of the responders had the false impression that they were in good overall health. These findings highlight the need for implementation of a national plan for cardiovascular health, to provide better health education, prevention and treatment to the Bulgarian patients.