Potential Impact of Time Trend of Life-Style Factors on Cardiovascular Disease Burden in China

Abstract

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in China. Evaluation of risk factors and their impacts on disease burden is important for future public health initiatives and policy making. OBJECTIVE We used data from a cohort of the China Health and Nutrition Survey to estimate time trends in cardiovascular risk factors from 1991 through 2011. METHODS We applied the Comparative Risk Assessment method to estimate the number of CVD events attributable to all non-optimal levels (e.g., theoretical-minimum-risk exposure distribution, TMRED) of each risk factor. RESULTS In 2011, high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high blood glucose were associated with 3.1, 1.4, and 0.9 million CVD events in China, respectively. Increase in body mass index (BMI) was associated with an increase in attributable CVD events, from 0.5 million to 1.1 million between 1991 and 2011, while decreased physical activity was associated with a 0.7-million increase in attributable CVD events. In 2011, 53.4% of males used tobacco, estimated to be responsible for 30.1% of CVD burden in males. Dietary quality improved, but remained suboptimal; mean intakes were 5.4 (TMRED: 2.0) g/day for sodium, 67.7 (TMRED: 300.0) g/day for fruits, 6.2 (TMRED: 114.0) g/day for nuts, and 25.0 (TMRED: 250.0) mg/day for marine omega-3 fatty acids in 2011. CONCLUSION High blood pressure remains the most important individual risk factor related to CVD burden in China. Increased BMI and decreased physical activity were also associated with the increase in CVD burden from 1991 to 2011. High rates of tobacco use in males and unhealthy dietary factors continue to contribute to the burden of CVD in China.

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