Journal of School of Public Health and

Background and Aim: Previous studies show that disability and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases are closely related to socioeconomic status in a community. The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between socioeconomic factors and coronary artery disease (CAD) among people under 45 years old at Shahid Rajaei Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted in Shahid Rajaei Hospital, Tehran, Iran in summer 2008. The participants were 100 CAD cases (<45 years old, mean age = 41.2 years 85% men) and 100 controls from among accompanying persons matched for age and gender. In order to assess the risk of factors related to such variables as educational level, occupation, income, social exclusion, social support, stress, exercise, nutritional status, smoking, etc, odds ratio (95% CI) was used. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the synchronic effect of the risk factors, and the t-test was used to find differences between means.

Results: The odds ratio (95% CI) for smoking vs nonsmoking was 3.9 (1.9-7.9) for CAD. Individuals with a low educational level showed an odds ratio of 2.7 (1.9-7-9), compared to those with a high educational level. Eating fruits and vegetables at least seven servings a week has an odds ratio of 2.7 (1.01-7.4) vs eating fewer servings. Occupation, job grade and physical activity had statistically significant relationships with CAD. Mean BMI was different between cases and controls. The disease had no significant association with stress, social support, social exclusion or income.

Conclusion: Smoking, a low educational level and eating small amounts of fruits and vegetables were the most important socioeconomic factors contributing to coronary artery disease. Policymaking and planning aiming at improving the socioeconomic situation of the people, particularly those under 45 years old, seem essential.

Background and Aim: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and its complications at a low age are more serious and more progressive than at higher age. Because of this difference in the natural history of the disease as a function of age, this study was conducted to compare CAD risk factors between two age groups, namely people below and above 45 years old.

Materials and Methods: Two groups of 200 hospitalized CAD patients each, one below, and one above, 45 years old were selected by simple random sampling between 2005 and 2007. Two groups were similar with regard to dates and duration of hospitalization. The following data were collected from the patients' hospital files and analyzed using SPSS/Win: age, sex and marital status area of residence a history of smoking, diabetes, and hypertension a family history of early-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) weight and height and lipid profile. The logistic regression test was used to compare the variables between the two groups.

Results: The following variables were found to be positively associated with CAD in the under-45 year group: smoking history (OR=2.54 p=0.009), a history of early-onset CVD (OR=3.15 p=0.009), low high- density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) (OR=5.53 p<0.001), and high blood cholesterol (OR=3.96 p<0.006).

Conclusion: The most important coronary heart disease risk factors at a lower age are smoking, a history of early-onset CVD, low blood HDLc, and high total blood cholesterol.