Abstract

Background: The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors has increased in the developing countries.
Objective: To study the cardiovascular disease risk factors in urban, semiurban, and rural population.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by the Department of Cardiology of Super Speciality Hospital in the urban, semiurban, and rural areas of Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir state, India, for a period of 2 years. Of the 4,050 volunteers screened, 1,030 were in urban, 1,270 in semiurban, and 1,750 in rural areas; the demo- graphic profile, blood pressure, and blood sugar were observed, and the results were evaluated in percentages. Result: The mean age of the screened subjects was above 50 years of age, and the male to female ratio was, approxi- mately, 1.5:1 at urban, 4:1 at semiurban, and 2.5:1 at rural areas. The majority of them were smokers, and about 58.9% of urban, 60% of semiurban, and 39.9% of rural volunteers were overweight and obese. The systolic prehypertension was 30%, 29.8%, and 30.9% and hypertension was 42.7%, 44.2%, and 44.9% among urban, semiurban, and rural population, respectively. The random blood sugar was positive in 9.3%, 12.8%, and 11.5% in urban, semiurban, and rural population, respectively. Conclusion: Hypertension, obesity, smoking, and increased blood sugar are the cardiovascular risk factors, and their prevalence has increased in urban, semiurban, and rural population, and these screening programs further help in the management of the disease.