Cardiovascular risk factors in Algeria. Analysis of the subgroup from the “Africa/Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological” Study

Objectives: This cross-sectional epidemiological study aimed at determining the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF; including obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes and smoking), among patients from the Algerian sub-population of the “Africa/Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological” study attending general practitioners at primary healthcare facilities, and stratified according to their environment (rural/urban), sex and age. Patients and methods: The study sites, located in 10 wilayas (administrative regions), were situated in urban and rural areas (rural populations defined as living at least 50 km away from urban centres, or lacking access to suburban transport). Results: Four hundred and ten subjects (262 female, 148 male) were enrolled; 287 subjects were from an urban environment and 123 from a rural environment. Mean age was 50.4 years. Ninety one point eight percent of patients had ≥ 1 CVRF; 48.2% had ≥ 3 CVRF. Prevalence for the different CVRF was: 61.7% for dyslipidaemia; 39.5% for hypertension; 25.0% for diabetes; 10.0% for smoking, 70.0% for abdominal obesity and 32.0% for a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2. Conclusion: The high prevalence of all CVRF observed in the Algeria sub-group, especially among the rural population, should encourage us to develop a carefully planned strategy for primary prevention, opportunistic screening and early management, in both urban and rural settings, and with particular attention to young adults. These actions should involve all state bodies and those active in civil society, in order to guarantee full achievement of set goals. The ACE trial is registered under NCT01243138.