Prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases among youths in Kazakhstan: a systematic review of the literature.

Cardiovascular disease encompasses different diseases affecting the heart or circulatory vessels and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, there is a lack of data on the prevalence and magnitude of the disease among the young population in Kazakhstan. The current study is a systematic review of the literature that aims to analyze published data to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases among young people in Kazakhstan. The search for references performed using different databases including PubMed, MEDLINE and Embase. A total of 107 papers were retrieved, of which only 8 met the inclusion criteria and included in the study. There is a lack of literature that describes the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases among young people in Kazakhstan; however, the estimated average in this study, based on the weighted pool of general population is 22.4%. Interestingly, the most commonly reported modifiable risk factors among young adults include unhealthy diet, smoking, mental health, physical inactivity, drug use and metabolic disorders. While there is a general improvement in cardiovascular health among older people, young adults appear to indulge themselves in several modifiable risk factors and develop unhealthy cardiovascular status.