TY - JOUR
T1 - Cardiovascular risk factor trends in the Eastern Mediterranean region: evidence from four countries is alarming: evidence from four countries is alarming
AU - Sözmen, Kaan
AU - Ünal, Belgin
AU - Saidi, Olfa
AU - Romdhane, Habiba Ben
AU - Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M.E.
AU - Husseini, Abdullatif
AU - Fouad, Fouad
AU - Maziak, Wasim
AU - Bennett, Kathleen
AU - O’Flaherty, Martin
AU - Capewell, Simon
AU - Critchley, Julia
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Objectives: Many Eastern Mediterranean countries are undergoing dramatic socioeconomic, demographic and life style changes and face noncommunicable disease (NCD) epidemics. We evaluated recent trends in major NCD risk factors in occupied Palestinian territories (OPT), Turkey, Syria and Tunisia.Methods: We searched published and unpublished sources for systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and cholesterol trends for both men and women aged 35–84 in each country from 1995 to 2009.Results: Smoking prevalence was stable over time in Tunisia and Syria, but decreasing in Turkey (annual change −0.9 %) and OPT (annual change −0.7 %). Mean BMI (annual change of 0.1 % for Turkey, 0.2 % for OPT and Tunisia and 0.3 % in Syria) and diabetes (annual change of 0.3 % for Turkey, 0.4 % for OPT and Tunisia and 0.7 % in Syria) prevalence increased in each country. SBP levels increased slightly in Tunisia and Syria but decreased in OPT and Turkey.Conclusions: Recent risk factor trends are worrying. Good quality data on the extent and determinants of NCDs are essential to respond the changing health needs of populations with burgeoning NCD epidemics.
AB - Objectives: Many Eastern Mediterranean countries are undergoing dramatic socioeconomic, demographic and life style changes and face noncommunicable disease (NCD) epidemics. We evaluated recent trends in major NCD risk factors in occupied Palestinian territories (OPT), Turkey, Syria and Tunisia.Methods: We searched published and unpublished sources for systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and cholesterol trends for both men and women aged 35–84 in each country from 1995 to 2009.Results: Smoking prevalence was stable over time in Tunisia and Syria, but decreasing in Turkey (annual change −0.9 %) and OPT (annual change −0.7 %). Mean BMI (annual change of 0.1 % for Turkey, 0.2 % for OPT and Tunisia and 0.3 % in Syria) and diabetes (annual change of 0.3 % for Turkey, 0.4 % for OPT and Tunisia and 0.7 % in Syria) prevalence increased in each country. SBP levels increased slightly in Tunisia and Syria but decreased in OPT and Turkey.Conclusions: Recent risk factor trends are worrying. Good quality data on the extent and determinants of NCDs are essential to respond the changing health needs of populations with burgeoning NCD epidemics.
KW - Cardiovascular diseases
KW - Diabetes
KW - Obesity
KW - Risk factors
KW - Smoking
KW - Trend
U2 - 10.1007/s00038-014-0610-6
DO - 10.1007/s00038-014-0610-6
M3 - Article
SN - 1661-8556
VL - 60
SP - 3
EP - 11
JO - International Journal of Public Health
JF - International Journal of Public Health
IS - 1
ER -
