Changes to cardiovascular risk factors over 7 years: a prospective cohort study of in situ urbanised residents in the Chaoyang District of Beijing

OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in cardiovascular risk factors of in situ urbanised residents between 2010 and 2017. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: The Chaoyang District of Beijing, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 942 in situ urbanised rural residents aged 35–64 who participated in the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors study in China between 2010 and 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lifestyles (smoking, drinking and effective exercise) and medical history (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, overweight and obesity) were self-reported. New cases of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, overweight and obesity were confirmed by physical examination or blood biochemical tests. Multiple linear regression and log-binomial models analyses adjusted for sociodemographic confounders were conducted to evaluate any changes of clinical indexes and to estimate prevalence rate ratios (PRRs), respectively. RESULTS: During the study period of 2010–2017, diastolic blood pressure elevated by 3.55 mm Hg, central blood pressure increased by 4.39 mm Hg, total cholesterol decreased by 0.29 mmol/L and hypertension increased significantly (PRR=1.25, p<0.05) after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle and family history factors. Effective exercise rate (PRR=1.57), prevalence of diabetes (PRR=1.36) and dyslipidaemia (PRR=1.19) all increased from 2010 to 2017. However, these changes were not significant after adjusting for confounders (p>0.05). Prevalence of smoking, drinking, hypertension, overweight and obesity was significantly higher in males than females in both 2010 and 2017. In 2017, the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic CVD increased in 29.8% of participants and decreased in 6.1% of individuals. CONCLUSIONS: CVD risk factors augmented remarkably for in situ urbanised rural residents aged 35–64 in the Chaoyang District of Beijing, especially those indicators related to blood pressure. Awareness of the direction and magnitude of these risk factor changes may be beneficial in informing targeted strategies for preventing CVDs of in situ urbanised populations.