Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among management professionals of the EMERCOM of Russia and risk reduction strategies

Introduction. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) (Chapter IX “Diseases of the circulatory system” according to ICD–10) are the leading cause of death among non–communicable diseases worldwide and a major cause of disability. In this regard, the identification of CVD risk factors and of prevalence assessment is a priority for public health policy, as well as preventive and clinical medicine. The issue is extremely relevant for the management professionals of the EMERCOM of Russia who perform complex and high–responsibility tasks under extreme working conditions.

The objective is to assess the prevalence of CVD risk factors among management professionals of the EMERCOM of Russia and to justify prevention strategies.

Methods. Health examination data regarding CVD risk factors were obtained from 226 management professionals of the EMERCOM of Russia who underwent in–depth medical examination in the departments of the Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine EMERCOM of Russia (St. Petersburg) between 2019 and 2023. The examinations included a cardiologist, neurologist, comprehensive imaging and lab test diagnostics for the respective medical profiles. Patient characteristics and quantitative variables were compared using the Mann–Whitney test for continuous non–normally distributed variables and the c2 test for categorical variables. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman coefficients with a significance threshold of p < 0.05.

Results and their analysis. The age of the EMERCOM management professionals ranged from 33 to 65 years, with the mean age (48.9 ± 6.2) years. The cohort showed a high prevalence of major CVD risk factors: overweight and obesity (92.9 %), arterial hypertension (54.4 %), dyslipidemia (71.8 %), hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose ³ 5.6 mmol/l in 29 %, type 2 diabetes and/or glucose levels ³ 7.0 mmol/l in 9.7 %). The obtained rates were higher than in the general male population of the same age. Statistical analysis revealed reliable correlation between body mass index and the severity of hypertension (r = 0.292), triglyceride (r = 0.403) and glucose levels (r = 0.271), decreased high–density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = –0.224), C–reactive protein (r = 0.273), lesions of the white matter microstructure visualized on the MRI (r = 0.239). A reliable correlation was found between the hypertension severity and the number of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries (r = 0.316), as well as the degree of vascular stenosis (r = 0.258). Occupation and lifestyle were major contributors to the high CVD risk rates among the management professionals of the EMERCOM of Russia. The subjects reported insufficient physical activity (31.9 %), persistent work–rest cycle irregularities and sleep disorders. Physical activity level showed a reliable negative correlation with hyperglycemia (r = –0.458), body mass index (r = –0.161), C–reactive protein (r = –0.378), triglyceride levels (r = –0.161), and high–density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.165). Positive trends included decreased prevalence of smoking (28.7 % were current smokers, whereas 35 % of all smokers had quitted smoking). A comprehensive approach, including primary and secondary prevention measures, is required to reduce the prevalence of CVD risk factors.

Conclusion. The results of the study indicate a significant prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among the management professionals of the EMERCOM of Russia. To reduce the CVD risks and complications, improved preventive screening and monitoring for cardiovascular risk factors, as well as timely intervention are of paramount importance. Our research demonstrates that these measures are critical in the healthcare of the management professionals of the EMERCOM of Russia enrolled in our research, given the significance of their duties for the entire population of the Russian Federation.

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