Profile and high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in an urban black African population

K Tibazarwa, University of the Witwatersrand
L Ntyinyane, University of the Witwatersrand
K Sliwa, University of the Witwatersrand
T Gerntholtz, University of the Witwatersrand
D Wilkinson, University of Queensland
Simon Stewart, Baker Heart Research Institute

Given the increase in incidence of coronary heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa, this study set out to raise awareness on CVD risk factors; and establish a baseline profile of CVD risk in the population of Soweto, South Africa. Convenience sampling was used over a 6-month period to screen participants presenting to a fixed monitoring stand in Soweto, the largest black residential area in South Africa. Measurements were taken for blood pressure and BMI, and blood tested for random blood glucose and cholesterol. A total of 1127 participants were screened. 75% of the population had at least one major risk factor for CVD, two-thirds having high BMI and 40% being severely overweight. Almost a third of screened persons had raised blood pressure raised, while 13% had raised blood cholesterol levels. These findings strongly suggest a high prevalence of risk factors for CVD in this urban black African population of Soweto.