LAUSR

Objective: To evaluate cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and subclinical target organ damage in a young and apparently healthy population assisted in a Primary Healthcare unit Design and method: A cross-sectional population study for CV risk assessment in adults aged 20–50 years old provided by a Primary Healthcare Unit. A total of 632 individuals were evaluated (40% male; mean age 36 ± 9 years). Sociodemographic, anthropometric data, and traditional CV risk factors were recorded. All underwent office Blood Pressure (BP) and pulse pressure (PP) (systolic BP minus diastolic BP) was calculated. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was also calculated after BP measurements in the 4 limbs. The median of the ABI was 1.14 [1.08–1.22], which is the cutoff point used to define early changes. All participants were submitted to ECG to calculate Sokolow-Lyon Index (SLI) and Cornell Voltage Index (CVI) for left ventricular hypertrophy diagnosis. We considered the median of the SLI (20 mm) and the CVI (11 mm) as the cutoff point for early alterations. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 16%. The median [IQR] office PP was 46 [39–52] mmHg. Elevated Office PP (> 60 mmHg) were identified in 64 participants. High office PP was more frequent in men, obese, with increased neck circumference and lower ABI (1.07 vs 1.16, p < 0.001). It was also associated with higher voltage index: SLI 21.9 vs 19.8, p = 0.04 and CVI 13.4 vs 7.1, p = 0.03. Individuals with decreased ABI are more obese with smaller neck circumference (10 vs 5%, p = 0.03). They also had higher systolic BP (125 vs 119 mmHg, p < 0.001) and PP (49 vs 43 mmHg, p < 0.001). A total of 362 ECGs were performed. Increased SLI was more frequent in men, younger and overweight, in addition to a higher prevalence of hypertension and higher PP. Those with increased CVI are more often male, obese with higher BP levels. Conclusions: In this young population, early changes in subclinical target organ damage already identify a higher CV risk profile, indicating the importance of implementing primary prevention measures to reduce this risk.