OBJECTIVETo evaluate the trends of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors between 1992 and 2002 (10 years) in a cohort of Beijing.

METHODSTwo separate surveys were carried out for a cohort (2740 subjects) in 1992 and 2002 according to methods of the WHO MONICA project. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC), serum total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), glucose, prevalence of hypertension, rate of hypertension treatment and control were compared between 1992 and 2002.

RESULTS(1) Comparisons of the same age groups showed that CVD risk factors increased significantly during the 10 year period from 1992 to 2002. (2) Nineteen percent of the subjects with optimal BP in 1992 became hypertensive in 2002, and 45.3% of normal BP subjects in 1992 became hypertensive in 2002. (3) 43.8% of the subjects with normal blood lipid in 1992 became hyperlipidemia in 2002. (4) 37.0% of the subjects with normal BMI in 1992 became overweight in 2002, and 43.7% of subjects with normal WC in 1992 became high WC in 2002. (5) 14.6% of the subjects without metabolic syndrome in 1992 became with metabolic syndrome in 2002.

CONCLUSIONSThe levels of CVD risk factors in this cohort increased significantly in a 10 year period from 1992 to 2002. Most of the risk factors were related to unhealthy life styles. To modify unhealthy life style and control the increasing rate of major risk factors are the key to reduce CVD incidence.