The burden of cardiovascular disease and related risk factors, in Greece; the ATTICA epidemiological study (2002-2022)

Demosthenes Panagiotakos; Evangelia Sigala; Evangelia Damigou; Asimina Loukina; Dimitriοs Dalmyras; Georgios Mentzantonakis; Fotios Barkas; Petros S Adamidis; Evrydiki Kravvariti; Evangelos Liberopoulos; Petros P Sfikakis; Costas Tsioufis; Christos Pitsavos; Christina Chrysohoou

doi:10.1016/j.hjc.2024.05.009

The burden of cardiovascular disease and related risk factors, in Greece; the ATTICA epidemiological study (2002-2022)

Hellenic J Cardiol. 2024 May 9:S1109-9666(24)00113-1. doi: 10.1016/j.hjc.2024.05.009. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, 17671, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: dbpanag@hua.gr.
² Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, 17671, Athens, Greece.
³ First Cardiology Clinic, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, 15772, Athens, Greece.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45500 Ioannina, Greece.
⁵ First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772, Athens, Greece.

PMID: 38734306
DOI: 10.1016/j.hjc.2024.05.009

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to present the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its related risk factors based on a 20-year observation period (2002-2022).

Methods: In 2002, 3,042 Greek adults (aged: 45 (12) years) free of CVD, cancer, or any other chronic infections were enrolled. In 2022, the 20-year follow-up was performed on 2,169 participants (1,988 had complete data for CVD). Lifetime risk for CVDs and Disability-Adjusted-Life-Years (DALYs) lost were also calculated.

Results: The 20-year CVD incidence was 3,600 cases/10,000 individuals (man-to-woman ratio 5:4). At the index age of 40 years, the lifetime risk for developing CVD was 68% for men and 63% for women; as the participants were getting older, the lifetime risk declined by approximately 19% and 13% for men and women, respectively, but remained at high levels, reaching 55% for both sexes. Participants between 45-55 years exhibited the highest CVD burden concerning aggregated DALYs. The burden was greater in men than in women, at ages below 35 years; beyond this age threshold, this trend shifted, and women exhibited a higher CVD burden.

Conclusion: The burden of CVD in Greece has shown increasing trends over the past 20 years as a result of the accumulative growth of the prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors. The disability-adjusted life-years lost are the most observed ever before, urging for efficient public health strategies and measures.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease risk; epidemiology; incidence; prevention; risk factors.