Generic Portal

TY - JOUR

T1 - Eligibility for cardiovascular risk screening among different ethnic groups: The HELIUS study

AU - Perini, Wilco

AU - Snijder, Marieke B.

AU - Agyemang, Charles

AU - Peters, Ron J. G.

AU - Kunst, Anton E.

AU - van Valkengoed, Irene G. M.

PY - 2020/7/1

Y1 - 2020/7/1

N2 - Background: Ethnic differences in the age-of-onset of cardiovascular risk factors may necessitate ethnic-specific age thresholds to initiate cardiovascular risk screening. Recent European recommendations to modify cardiovascular risk estimates among certain ethnic groups may further increase this necessity. Aims: To determine ethnic differences in the age to initiate cardiovascular risk screening, with and without implementation of ethnic-specific modification of estimated cardiovascular risk. Methods: We included 18,031 participants of Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish and Moroccan background from the HELIUS study (Amsterdam). Eligibility for cardiovascular risk screening was defined as being eligible for blood pressure-lowering treatment, based on a combination of systolic blood pressure, estimated cardiovascular risk, and ethnic-specific conversion of estimated cardiovascular risk as recommended by European cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines. Age-specific proportions of eligibility were determined and compared between ethnic groups via logistic regression analyses. Results: Dutch men reached the specified threshold to initiate cardiovascular risk screening (according to Dutch guidelines) at an average age of 51.5 years. Among ethnic minority men, this age ranged from 39.8 to 52.4. Among Dutch women, the average age threshold was 53.4. Among ethnic minority women, this age ranged from 36.8 to 49.1. Age-adjusted odds of eligibility were significantly higher than in the Dutch among all subgroups, except among Moroccan men. Applying ethnic-specific conversion factors had minimal effect on the age to initiate screening in all subgroups. Conclusions: Most ethnic minority groups become eligible for blood pressure-lowering treatment at a lower age and may therefore benefit from lower age-thresholds to initiate cardiovascular risk screening.

AB - Background: Ethnic differences in the age-of-onset of cardiovascular risk factors may necessitate ethnic-specific age thresholds to initiate cardiovascular risk screening. Recent European recommendations to modify cardiovascular risk estimates among certain ethnic groups may further increase this necessity. Aims: To determine ethnic differences in the age to initiate cardiovascular risk screening, with and without implementation of ethnic-specific modification of estimated cardiovascular risk. Methods: We included 18,031 participants of Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish and Moroccan background from the HELIUS study (Amsterdam). Eligibility for cardiovascular risk screening was defined as being eligible for blood pressure-lowering treatment, based on a combination of systolic blood pressure, estimated cardiovascular risk, and ethnic-specific conversion of estimated cardiovascular risk as recommended by European cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines. Age-specific proportions of eligibility were determined and compared between ethnic groups via logistic regression analyses. Results: Dutch men reached the specified threshold to initiate cardiovascular risk screening (according to Dutch guidelines) at an average age of 51.5 years. Among ethnic minority men, this age ranged from 39.8 to 52.4. Among Dutch women, the average age threshold was 53.4. Among ethnic minority women, this age ranged from 36.8 to 49.1. Age-adjusted odds of eligibility were significantly higher than in the Dutch among all subgroups, except among Moroccan men. Applying ethnic-specific conversion factors had minimal effect on the age to initiate screening in all subgroups. Conclusions: Most ethnic minority groups become eligible for blood pressure-lowering treatment at a lower age and may therefore benefit from lower age-thresholds to initiate cardiovascular risk screening.

KW - HELIUS study

KW - SCORE

KW - cardiovascular risk estimation

KW - ethnic groups

KW - hypertension

KW - primary prevention

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070367452&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/2047487319866284

DO - 10.1177/2047487319866284

M3 - Article

C2 - 31345055

VL - 27

SP - 1204

EP - 1211

JO - European journal of preventive cardiology

JF - European journal of preventive cardiology

SN - 2047-4873

IS - 11

ER -