Comprehensive evaluation of cardiovascular risk control in a large national cohort: insights from over 1 million participants in a cardiovascular prevention program.

Overweight and obesity were significantly more prevalent in men than women across the study period.

• Overweight prevalence was 46.9–47.0% in men versus 33.3–34.0% in women (p < 0.001).
• Obesity prevalence was 29.8–30.3% in men versus 21.3–22.2% in women (p < 0.001).
• Among women, overweight and obesity nearly doubled with age (p for trend < 0.05).
• The study included 718,528 women and 468,640 men aged 35–65 years.

Hypertension was less prevalent than expected but remained significantly higher in men than in women.

• Hypertension prevalence was 29.8–31.5% in men versus 15.8–17.1% in women (p < 0.001).
• The authors noted hypertension was 'less prevalent than expected' in this cohort.
• The cohort was drawn from participants in the Polish Cardiovascular Prevention Program (2022–2024).
• Participants were adults aged 35–65 years without pre-existing cardiovascular disease.

Elevated cholesterol was the most prevalent risk factor, affecting 63.5–66.9% of participants and was especially high among women.

• Hypercholesterolemia affected 63.5–66.9% of the total study population.
• Prevalence was higher in women than in men (p < 0.001).
• No age-related decline in elevated cholesterol was observed (p for trend < 0.05).
• This was the highest prevalence of any single risk factor identified in the study.

Undiagnosed diabetes increased with age and reached 5.1% in men aged 60–65 years.

• Elevated fasting glucose (indicative of undiagnosed diabetes) rose significantly with age (p for trend < 0.001).
• The highest rate observed was 5.1% in men aged 60–65 years.
• Age-related increases in undiagnosed diabetes were statistically significant across the cohort.
• This finding suggests a substantial burden of undetected dysglycemia in older men.

Smoking persisted at high levels across all age groups, with an increase among older women and a significant sex difference.

• Tobacco use remained high across all age groups in the cohort.
• Smoking increased among older women (p for trend < 0.05).
• A significant sex difference in smoking prevalence was observed (p < 0.001).
• The persistence of smoking across age groups was highlighted as a public health concern.

Physical inactivity showed opposite age-related trends by sex, declining with age in women but increasing with age in men.

• Physical inactivity declined with age in women (p for trend < 0.05).
• Physical inactivity increased with age in men (p for trend < 0.05).
• These divergent trends suggest sex-specific behavioral patterns regarding physical activity across the lifespan.
• Low physical activity was evaluated as one of seven modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in the study.

The study used linear and polynomial regression models to characterize age-related patterns and short-term temporal changes in risk factor prevalence over a two-year period.

• The cross-sectional study included 1,187,168 adults screened between 2022 and 2024.
• Analyses were stratified by age (35–65 years), sex, and year of participation.
• Seven modifiable risk factors were evaluated: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, elevated fasting glucose, tobacco use, low physical activity, overweight, and obesity.
• Both linear and polynomial regression models were applied to describe age-related trends and short-term changes.