Cardiovascular disease risk factor levels and their relations to CVD rates in China - results of Sino-MONICA project

BACKGROUND: The Sino-MONICA project is a 7-year study monitoring trends and determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in geographically defined populations in different parts of China. This report focuses on risk factor levels and their relations to CVD rates. DESIGN: Successive surveys on smoking habits, blood pressure (BP), serum total cholesterol (TC), weight and height were conducted in independent random samples of the same populations early (1987-1988) and late (1992-1993) in the study period, by the methodology and criteria of the WHO MONICA project. Associations between risk levels and CVD rates were also assessed by correlation analysis. RESULTS: In general, the mean level of BP in the populations studied was high by international standards. Serum TC and body mass index (BMI) were low compared with the world average. There were significant geographic variations in CVD risk levels, being higher in the north and lower in the south, which correlated with the north-south difference of CVD event rates. CONCLUSIONS: The Sino-MONICA study has established the feasibility of long-term monitoring of CVD events and risk factors with international standardized methods in Chinese communities. The results will have significance in curbing the CVD epidemic not only in China, but also internationally.