Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in an Iranian Urban Population

In Iran, more than 40% of mortality is a result of cardiovascular disorders. The aim of this study was compare of cardiovascular risk factors in urban men and women. This cross-sectional analytic study was performed in urban population of Jahrom in 2008-2009. Subjects aged 30 years or older were selected by multi stage random sampling. Serum lipids including total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL cholesterol and also fasting blood sugar were measured. Their blood pressure was measured under standard method. Weight and height were measured with light clothes and without shoes. The most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors in men were overweight (41.3%) and hypertension (35.1%) and in women were low HDL cholesterol (51.3%) and overweight (44.4%). The prevalence of obesity and low HDL cholesterol was higher and the prevalence of smoking was lower in women than in men (p<0.001). According to our results, the prevalence of risk factors was high in both genders. So the importance of performing interventional programs such as changes of lifestyle and dietary habits are needed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.