Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Homeless People
Author Information
Author(s): Kaldmäe Margit, Zilmer Mihkel, Viigimaa Margus, Zemtsovskaja Galina, Tomberg Karel, Kaart Tanel, Annuk Margus
Primary Institution: Tallinn University, Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Hypothesis
The study aims to evaluate the informative power of common CVD-related markers under unhealthy conditions among homeless individuals.
Conclusion
Traditional markers for predicting and diagnosing cardiovascular disease may not be applicable to homeless people due to their unique lifestyle.
Supporting Evidence
- More than half of the participants had normal levels of various cardiovascular markers.
- 100% of subjects had HDL-Chol within the normal range.
- 51% of participants had high blood pressure.
- 68.6% of participants had elevated pulse rates.
Takeaway
This study looked at homeless people to see if common health markers for heart disease still work for them, and found that they often don't.
Methodology
Blood pressure, pulse rate, waist circumference, and various blood markers were measured in homeless individuals.
Potential Biases
Participants' self-reported health information was often contradictory and unreliable.
Limitations
The study's sample may not represent all homeless people, and self-reported data were often unreliable.
Participant Demographics
51 participants, mean age 45 years, 90% men.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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