Burden of Cardiometabolic Disorders among Subjects Undergoing Preventive Health Check-up: A Follow-up Study

Objective: To study the incidence of hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease (CAD) in a cohort of adult subjects. Methods: A total 2159 participants (mean age: 48.6±11.6 years; 1342 males and 817 females) who attended the hospital for a comprehensive health check up were recruited and followed-up as a cohort for a mean period of 3.5 years. Their baseline and follow-up evaluation included clinical examination, biochemical investigations and cardiac check-up. Results: At baseline, 64% participants were overweight or obese, 44.3% had HTN (grade I or above), 16.7% had diabetes mellitus with additional 29.3% having impaired fasting glucose or glucose intolerance, and 46.6% had metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of CAD at baseline was 6% in males and 3% in females. The incidence (per 1000 person-years of follow-up) of HTN, diabetes mellitus and CAD was 72.2, 26.3 and 12.2, respectively. Conclusion: The burden of cardiometabolic disorders and their risk factors is high in India. Urgent remedial public health preventive measures are required to curtail the emerging epidemic of cardiometabolic disorders.