Cardiovascular risk evaluation of foreign national incarcerated men in a closed prison in Istanbul, Türkiye

AIM: This study aims to evaluate the cardiovascular disease risk and related factors among incarcerated individuals in a closed prison. BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases represent a leading cause of global mortality, among incarcerated individuals facing heightened risks attributable to environmental and lifestyle factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with foreign-nationed inmates aged 40-69 at Maltepe No. 3 L-Type Closed Prison in Istanbul, Türkiye, using World Health Organization (WHO) risk assessment tools. Data has been collected from January to March 2023 through in-person interviews, anthropometric assessments, and laboratory tests. FINDINGS: Of the 366 participants, all of them were male, mean age was 47.4 years (±6.2), as ethnic origin 74.6% were Asian. The median cardiovascular risk score was 6% (range: 1-52%), 74.6% classified as low-risk, 21.0% as moderate-risk, and 4.4% as high or very high-risk. Significant predictors of elevated cardiovascular risk included advanced age (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), systolic/diastolic hypertension (p < 0.001), and abdominal obesity (p = 0.005). Individuals exhibiting high-risk profiles showed increased levels of total cholesterol, LDL-C, HbA1c, and fasting blood glucose (p < 0.001). No correlation was found between incarceration duration and cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasises the importance of individual health evaluation including BMI and cardiovascular risk assessment and implementing preventive measures, such as smoking cessation, healthy diet and exercise programmes to protect low-and moderate-risk individuals and to lower the high risk as normal population. These preventive health services can be provided in primary care centres located in prison settlement.