Key result
While 100% of USA students and 92% of Hungarian students had an estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk of 1% or less, Hungarian students exhibited higher rates of smoking and physical inactivity.
Cross-Sectional (n=364)
Yes
University students generally have a very low 10-year cardiovascular risk, though modifiable risk factors like smoking and physical inactivity are already present and elevate risk in certain subgroups.
Low calculated CV risk in students supports early behavioral screening; cross-sectional data leaves open cultural and longitudinal drivers of disparities.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for more than half of all deaths in the European region. The aim of the study was to compare body composition, blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), family history, activity behaviors, and the 10-year risk of having a heart attack between 166 university students (21.62 ± 2.59 yrs) from Utah (USA) and 198 students (22.11 ± 2.51 yrs) from Hungary. Ninety-two percent of the Hungarian students and 100% of the Utah students had an estimated 10-year Framingham risk score of 1% or less. The high prevalence of low risk was primarily due to the young age of study participants, healthy body composition and non-smoking behavior. Hungarians who had higher 10-year risk of heart attack had significantly higher waist hip ratio (WHR), TC, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and were smokers compared to those Hungarians with lower risk. The self-reported physical activity levels between the two groups of students were not different. In conclusion the young men and women who participated in this study were, for the most part healthy; however the smoking habits and the lower physical activity of the Hungarian students likely elevated their risk of CVD.
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Uvacsek et al. (2014) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=364). Hungarian university students vs. USA university students was evaluated on 10-year Framingham risk score of 1% or less. While 100% of USA students and 92% of Hungarian students had an estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk of 1% or less, Hungarian students exhibited higher rates of smoking and physical inactivity.
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