The coexistence of major coronary heart disease risk factors in the coloured population of the Cape Peninsula (CRISIC study)

A cross-sectional study of risk factors for coronary heart disease in a random sample of 976 people from a South African coloured population revealed this group to be at great risk. The prevalences of individual and of coexisting reversible risk factors - hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension and smoking - were highest in the older subjects, who use medical services more often. One or more of the three risk factors was present in 80% of men aged 45 years or over. Smoking was the most common single risk factor for both sexes, and almost 30% of women aged 45 years or over were hypertensive. Hypertension and smoking was the most common combination for males and hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia the most common for females. Medical personnel could identify and treat these very-high-risk patients if they were to screen for all the risk factors after identifying any one risk factor. Younger people at risk and particularly younger men, who rarely utilise health services, should be reached at their workplace for early identification of risk factors.