Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among workers at a private tertiary center in Angola

BACKGROUND: The burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is increasing in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa. However, as there is a scarcity of data, little is known about CVD in Angola. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension, prediabetes, diabetes, overweight, and obesity among workers at a private tertiary center in Angola. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 781 workers of Clínica Girassol, a tertiary health care center in Angola, during the month of November 2013. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical variables were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 781 participants studied, 50.44% were males and 78.11% were under 40 years old. The prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was 17.93% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.24%–20.74%) and 54.03% (95% CI: 50.58%–57.62%), respectively. Among hypertensive subjects, 83.57% (117) were unaware of the diagnosis. Hypertension was associated with age (≥40 years) (odds ratio [OR]: 6.21; 95% CI: 4.18–9.24; P<0.001) and with overweight and obesity (OR: 2.32; 95% CI: 1.56–3.44; P<0.001). The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 2.69% (95% CI: 1.54%–3.97%) and 7.94% (95% CI: 6.02%–9.99%), respectively. The prevalence of overweight was 34.44% (95% CI: 31.11%–37.90%) and 19.85% (95% CI: 17.03%–22.79%) for obesity. There was an association between overweight and obesity and the female sex (OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.29–2.28; P<0.001). The prevalence of family history of CVD, smoking, and alcoholism was 52.24%, 4.87%, and 45.33%, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in apparently healthy workers at the private tertiary center in Angola.