Cardiovascular risk factor levels in a lower middle‐class community in Ankara, Turkey

Abstract

The prevalence of smoking, obesity and low HDL is high in this urban, lower middle-class population, even in comparison with industrialized countries. Unexpectedly, women have less favourable CHD risk profiles than men, except for smoking. Preventive action should be community-wide and address the common risk factors simultaneously to avoid replacement effects such as becoming obese after quitting smoking.