Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in a healthy young population: Family matters

Abstract Background India faces an epidemic of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study sought the effect of family history of CVD and/or its risk factors (CVD-risk) on the presence of risk factors for CVD, in a healthy young college population. Methods Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), anthropometric variables, fasting blood sugar and lipid fractions were measured in two hundred healthy individuals (163 men and 37 women), aged 17–22 years. Data were analysed to elicit effect of CVD-risk on measured parameters. Results All but one subject, had family history of a CVD-risk. Men with family history of coronary heart disease had higher diastolic BP (79.24 ± 7.7 vs 75.99 ± 7.49 mmHg, p = 0.007) and triglycerides (118.66 ± 57.98 vs 85.82 ± 50.89 mg/dL, p  Conclusion Young adults with a family history of CVD-risk already have an incomplete/atypical CVD risk profile.