Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases in Middle Delta of Egypt: A Systematic Analysis of Risk Factors Associated with the Rising Burden of the Disease

Background: The popularity of behavioural and metabolic risk factors associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ACVDs) has increased because of social progress, rapid economic development, population aging, and changes in social ideology. We aimed to perform a systematic analysis of risk factors associated with the rising rate of ACVDs in Egypt.

Methods: This study was carried out on 1,700 participants. The patients were classified into two groups: group 1 included patients with ACVDs, and group 2 (control group) included healthy individuals. All data recorded included patients’ anthropometric measurements, and laboratory and clinical examinations were collected.

Results: The rising burden of ACVDs in Egypt was caused by a variety of risk factors, including diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and a lack of physical activity. The dominant risk factors recognized through multivariate regression analysis were the existence of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.463; 95% CI, 1.056–2.026; P = 0.022), increased psychosocial stress among the patients (OR = 1.404; 95% CI, 1.008–1.953; P = 0.044), excessive consumption of high-fat, processed, and fast food (OR = 1.964; 95% CI, 1.489–2.590; P = 0.001), and decreased the income (OR = 1.865; 95% CI, 1.454–2.391; P = 0.001).

Conclusions: Patients who suffer from uncontrolled diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome are the most liable to have ACVDs. Psychosocial stress and the excessive intake of processed, high-fat, and fast food are augmenting leading risk features, especially in low-income populations.