TITLE:
A Cross-Sectional Survey to Determine the Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in an Understudied Population in Sierra Leone
AUTHORS:
Fiona E. Strasserking, Roger J. Bick, James B. W. Russell, Yong-Jian Geng
KEYWORDS:
Cardiac Disease, Lifestyle, Non-Communicable Diseases, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic Background
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
29,
2016
ABSTRACT: To document the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in an unstudied community, a survey of 130 participants from different areas of Sierra Leone was performed. The focus was on cardiovascular disease because its prevalence had not been studied and World Health Organization (WHO) reports on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) prevalence were extrapolations and not from actual data. Resting blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, fasting lipid levels and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) were measured. Mean blood pressure in men was slightly lower than in women (132/87 mmHg and 139/90 mmHg respectively), mean fasting blood glucose levels were