Author(s)

Patrice Hodonou Avogbe^*, Ambaliou Sanni

Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

Hypertension, obesity, smoking, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are the major risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recent studies revealed that taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) in Cotonou had higher rates of CVD risk factors, but their impacts on cardiovascular events have rarely been studied. The Framingham risk score (FRS) is an algorithm that considers CVD risk factors and estimates the risk of developing CVD in the next 10 years. Our objectives were to assess the 10-year CVD risk predicted by the FRS, and to examine the relationships of 10-year CVD risk with plasma iron and potassium levels among TMDs. We included 134 TMDs (22 - 59 years old) who had no prior diagnosis of CVD or T2D, and not taking medications affecting iron and potassium homeostasis. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors were used to calculate the 10-year CVD risk, which was categorized as low (<10%), intermediate (10% - 20%), and high (>20%). FRS > 2%, which corresponded to the 75th percentile of FRS distribution in our study population, was used as a cut-off value to classify participants into two groups. Plasma iron and potassium levels were segregated into tertiles and their associations with 10-year CVD risk were quantified by multivariate-adjusted logistic regression to calculate the odd ratios (ORs) to being above the 75^th percentile of 10-year CVD risk with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We found that 62.0% of participants had at least one of cardiovascular risk factors. Approximately 97.8% of TMDs had 10-year CVD risk < 10% and 2.2% had FRS of 10%. The mean (95% CI) of 10-year CVD risk was 1.6% (95% CI: 1.2% - 2.0%). We found any significant relationships between plasma iron levels and 10-year CVD risk. In contrast, our findings revealed that 10-year CVD risk was inversely associated with plasma potassium levels, in a dose-dependent manner. Potassium levels > 4.8 mmol/L led to an 83% risk reduction of having 10-year CVD risk > 2% (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04 - 0.82, P = 0.027). In conclusion, our findings showed that high plasma potassium levels associate with reduced 10-year CVD risk among TMDs. Interventions focused on monitoring of plasma potassium, particularly in those with existing cardiovascular risk factors, may help prevent CVD.

Cardiovascular Diseases, 10-Year CVD Risk, Cotonou, Framingham Risk Score, Plasma Potassium, Taxi-Motorbike Drivers

Avogbe, P. and Sanni, A. (2023) Higher Plasma Potassium Level Reduces 10-Year Cardiovascular Disease Risk Predicted by the Framingham Risk Score among Taxi-Motorbike Drivers Residing and Working in Cotonou, Benin. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 11, 417-430. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2023.114030.