The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is associated with a worsening of coronary heart disease risk factors, particularly in men and high-risk individuals.
In 1983 a representative sample of Danish adolescents 16-19 yr of age were selected to participate in a study to determine risk profile for coronary heart disease. Eight years later (1991), we performed a follow-up study of the same participants 23-27 yr of age to compare risk factors. In the young adults power was generally high, 48.0 (SD +/- 7.8) and 39.6 (SD +/- 6.5) ml.min-1.kg-1 for men and women, respectively. Only 30% of the men and 26% of the women did not regularly participate in sport activities. Seventy-five percent of both genders bicycled daily, 50% of the men and 42% of the women as their daily transportation year round. Twenty percent, more men than women, were considered to be inactive. Women had a higher ratio of HDL-C/C than men (0.32 for women vs 0.26 for men). Mean values for blood pressure were 134/83 mm Hg and 122/78 mm Hg for men and women, respectively. Thirty-eight percent of the men and 10% of the women had an elevation above 140/90 mm Hg in either systolic blood pressure (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Cholesterol levels were high (10%) when compared with the U.S. population, but triglyceride levels were substantially lower (40%). Comparing the 1991 adults with the 1983 adolescents, the ranges were wider. In conclusion, the risk factor profile changes in men were less favorable than the profile for women; the changes in high risk groups were larger than changes in mean values.
Andersen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.