An Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Military Personnel: A Study Conducted in Turkey

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates; however, prevalence data for Turkish military members are unknown.
Aim: This study determines how common cardiovascular risk factors are among military members in the Corps Command Military Unit and how they relate to socio-demographic parameters.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional research was conducted with 25222 active-duty individuals. A questionnaire was used to assess cardiovascular risk factors. This study included patients with more than two risk factors or current cardiac complaints. ECGs, echocardiograms, and biochemical testing were performed.
Results: The study employed 835 individuals with an average age of 19.43±2.12 years. 19.6% of them had hypertension, 5.6% had dyslipidemia, 39.6% were smokers, 2.4% had diabetes mellitus, and 9.8% had a positive family history. Physical activity frequency was not observed in 54% of the patients before enlisting in the military. There was a significant positive correlation between smoking and mental stress (r=1.07, p<0.001).
Conclusion: In terms of cardiovascular risk, hypertension and smoking were found to be the most prevalent among the Corps command staff. Therefore, this study provides compelling evidence that military healthcare providers should conduct annual periodic checks on those at risk for cardiovascular diseases.