Prevalence of Major Risk Factors and Assessment of 10-Year Risk for Cardiovascular Diseases Among Adults in Yaoundé, Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and the 10-year cardiovascular risk in an adult population residing in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methodology We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 10 purposively selected neighbourhoods of Yaoundé, involving one adult per household who consented to participate. We collected data on personal and family history, lifestyle and nutritional habits, anthropometric parameters, and blood pressure, and calculated prevalence rates with 95% CI. Results The study involved 411 participants (172 males) with a median age of 28 years (IQR 23-40 years). Prevalence of CVD risk factors in our study population were family history of heart attack (4.4%; 95% CI 2.8-6.8%), stroke (7.5%; 95% CI 5.3-10.5%), harmful alcohol consumption (40.4%; 95% CI 35.8-45.3%), current smoking (5.1%; 95% CI 3.3-7.7%), second-hand smoking (26.6%; 95% CI 22.6-31.1%), low physical activity (66.4; 95% CI 61.7- 70.8%), inadequate fruit/vegetable intake (36.6%; 95% CI 31.4-42.1%), self-reported anxiety (83.5%; 95% CI 79.6-86.8%) and depression (52.3%; 95% CI 47.4-57.1%), overweight (27.0%, 95% CI 22.9 to 31.5%), obesity (25.1%, 95% CI 21.1 to 29.5%), abdominal obesity (65.9%; 95% CI 61.1-70.2%), excess body fat (46.3%; 95% CI 41.4-51.1%), suspected prehypertension (58.3%; 95% CI 51.1-65%) and hypertension (41.8%; 95% CI 35-48.9%). Furthermore, 40% of overall participants had a moderate-to-high 10-year CVD risk. Independent factors such as a personal history of other chronic diseases and parental history of either diabetes or hypertension combined with behaviours like harmful alcohol consumption and mean blood pressure might significantly influence the cardiovascular risk of our study population Conclusion In Yaoundé, Cameroon, many adults have major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with nearly one-third of young adults at moderate to high risk of developing CVD within the next decade. Thus, it is crucial to implement targeted interventions to mitigate the risk of CVD.