CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS IN A GERMAN P OPULATION OVER THE AGE OF 65 - RESULTS FROM THE STEPHY STUDY (STARNBERG TRIAL ON EPIDEMIOLOGY OF PARKINSONISM AND HYPERTENSION IN THE ELDERLY)

The aim of the study was to assess the current cardiovascular risk fac tor profile including data on treatment of a representative population over the age of 65 in Germany. From a total of 1190 inhabitants great er than or equal to 65 years living in two Bavarian villages near Muni ch, 982 could be visited at home (''door-to-door'' survey), where a qu estionnaire and the measurement section were performed (response rate 82.5 %). Blood pressure was measured three times in the sitting positi on with a standard sphygmomanometer, (''actual'') hypertension was def ined as systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 160 mm Hg and /or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95 mm Hg or effe ctive antihypertensive treatment. Obesity was defined as body mass ind ex greater than or equal to 27.8 kg/m(2) for men or greater than or eq ual to 27.3 kg/m(2) for women, hypercholesterolemia as total cholester ol greater than or equal to 250 mg/dl (6.5 mmol/l), diabetes as fastin g serum glucose > 120 mg/dl, glucosuria or treatment with insulin or o ral antidiabetics. With a prevalence of 53 % hypertension was the lead ing risk factor, followed by obesity with 35 % and hypercholesterolemi a with 21 %; smoking and diabetes were observed in < 10 %. Hypertensio n and obesity tended to be more prevalent in women, diabetes in men; h ypercholesterolemia was significantly more prevalent in women. While t he prevalence of hypertension increased up to the age groups ''75-79 y ears'' in men and ''80-84 years'' in women, there was a constant decre ase with age for obesity, hypercholesterolemia and smoking. Three-quar ters of the participants showed a minimum of one cardiovascular risk f actor the risk factor combination ''hypertension/hypercholesterolemia/ smoking'' was observed however only in 1%. Systemic hypertension remai ns the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor in Germany in the eld erly; the quantitative significance of hypercholesterolemia is perhaps overestimated in that age group.