"Healthy heart, healthy you": Ten-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among adults in anekal taluk hospital, Bangalore Urban District, Karnataka

Background: Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality globally. Over 75% of CVD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Objectives: To assess the 10-year CVD risk among adults aged 30 years and above attending the outpatient department at a Taluk Hospital, Bangalore Urban District, Karnataka. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 217 subjects above 30 years of age attending the hospital. They were selected by consecutive sampling and administered a face-validated interview schedule. WHO/ISH CVD risk assessment tool was used to categorize them into four categories of CVD risk. Additional risk factors like alcohol use and smoking were also assessed. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 55.7 +/- 12.3 years. About 65% of the study population had low risk (< 10%), 21.2% had mild risk (10%-20%), 9.7% had moderate risk (20%-30%) and 4.1% had high risk (> 30%) according to the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) CVD risk assessment tool. In the study population, 4.6% were abusing alcohol as per the CAGE questionnaire. Conclusion: The burden of CVD risk among the adults interviewed was high. The WHO/ISH chart is an inexpensive tool that can be used for screening in a regular OPD.