Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Outcome Definitions Quiz

Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium Study Findings

• Study used Poisson regression with log-transformed follow-up time as an offset to estimate events per 1000 person-years.
• Direct standardization by age distribution in the Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium data set was used to compute 10-year incidence of events and events per 1000 person-years per geographic region.
• The 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease varied by region and gender, with higher rates in men than in women.
• Cardiovascular disease appeared to develop in women at older ages than in men.
• All-cause mortality rates also varied by region and gender, with higher rates in men compared to women.
• Subdistribution hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease were calculated with death from noncardiovascular causes as the competing event.
• Associations between risk factors and cardiovascular disease and death from any cause were examined using continuous risk factors and nonlinear effects.
• Unadjusted risk factor–associated hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease and death from any cause were provided.
• The association with body mass index appeared consistent across all ages, while the strength of associations with systolic blood pressure, current smoking, and diabetes decreased with age.
• The study conducted sensitivity analyses, including landmark analyses and models with an alternative definition of cardiovascular disease.
• Widths of the 95% confidence intervals were not adjusted for multiplicity and should not be used in place of hypothesis testing.
• Certain regions and time frames had limitations in estimating 10-year incidence of events due to the short follow-up period or low number of recorded events.

Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality by Region and Sex

• The study estimated the 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality by region and sex
• The 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease was highest in men in North America and lowest in men in Asia
• Women tended to develop cardiovascular disease at older ages compared to men
• All-cause mortality was highest in men in sub-Saharan Africa and lowest in men in Australia
• The study used direct standardization by age distribution for incidence calculations
• The follow-up in Latin America was shorter than 10 years, so 10-year incidence estimates were not possible
• The 10-year incidence of events and events per 1000 person-years were not estimated due to low event numbers in some regions
• Subdistribution hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease were calculated with noncardiovascular death as the competing event
• The study analyzed associations between risk factors and cardiovascular disease and death from any cause
• The association with body mass index was consistent across all ages, while the strength of associations with systolic blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes decreased with age
• Hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease and death from any cause were provided for continuous risk factors
• The study conducted sensitivity analyses and provided unadjusted risk factor–associated hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease and death from any cause