Brown J S, Steele K
University of Ulster, Coleraine.
Br J Gen Pract. 1996 Nov;46(412):665-9.
Coronary heart disease is the commonest cause of death in Northern Ireland, but few data exist on the incidence of risk factors in young adult students and non-students.
To gather data on the prevalence of cigarette smoking and raised serum total cholesterol in a population of 18- to 20-year-old students and non-students.
Subjects were patients are Mountsandel Surgery, Coleraine on 1 January 1989 and were 18-20 years of age inclusive on that date. Subjects were interviewed by a research nurse who recorded socio-demographic data, tobacco consumption and random serum total cholesterol. Smoking status validation was by serum thiocyanate and expired air carbonmonoxide estimations.
Out of the 832 subjects surveyed, 570 were students and 262 were non-students. Cigarettes were smoked by 239 (28.7%) subjects, and a significantly greater proportion of non-students compared with students were smokers (36.6% and 25.1%, respectively; P < 0.001). The proportion of males compared with females who smoked cigarettes was not significantly different, but males smoked significantly more cigarettes per day than females (14 and 11 cigarettes, respectively; P = 0.005). The average age for commencing regular cigarette smoking was 15.3 years, and 49.9% of smokers had started regular smoking by the age of 16 years. A greater proportion of non-students (65.7%) compared with students (39.2%) had started smoking before the age of 16 years. Out of those sampled, 156 (19.2%) had random serum cholesterol levels above 5.2 mmol l-1. Mean total cholesterol for non-students was significantly higher than for students (4.61 and 4.45 mmol l-1, respectively; P = 0.01) and increased significantly with increasing age (P = 0.03). Three subjects recorded cholesterol levels above 7.8 mmol l-1.
Cigarette smoking and raised serum total cholesterol were prevalent among an apparently healthy population of students and non-students. These young adults may be significantly more at risk from subsequent coronary heart disease than was previously suspected.
冠心病是北爱尔兰最常见的死因，但关于年轻成年学生和非学生群体中危险因素发生率的数据很少。
收集18至20岁学生和非学生群体中吸烟和血清总胆固醇升高的患病率数据。
研究对象为1989年1月1日在科勒莱恩芒桑德尔外科就诊的患者，当日年龄在18至20岁之间（含18岁和20岁）。由一名研究护士对研究对象进行访谈，记录社会人口学数据、烟草消费量和随机血清总胆固醇。通过血清硫氰酸盐和呼出气体一氧化碳测定来验证吸烟状况。
在832名接受调查的研究对象中，570名是学生，262名是非学生。239名（28.7%）研究对象吸烟，非学生中吸烟者的比例显著高于学生（分别为36.6%和25.1%；P<0.001）。吸烟的男性与女性比例无显著差异，但男性每天吸烟的数量显著多于女性（分别为14支和11支；P=0.005）。开始经常吸烟的平均年龄为15.3岁，49.9%的吸烟者在16岁之前就开始经常吸烟。非学生中在16岁之前开始吸烟的比例（65.7%）高于学生（39.2%）。在抽样人群中，156名（19.2%）随机血清胆固醇水平高于5.2 mmol/L。非学生的平均总胆固醇显著高于学生（分别为4.61 mmol/L和4.45 mmol/L；P=0.01）且随年龄增长显著升高（P=0.03）。3名研究对象的胆固醇水平高于7.8 mmol/L。
在看似健康的学生和非学生人群中，吸烟和血清总胆固醇升高很普遍。这些年轻人患后续冠心病的风险可能比之前怀疑的要高得多。
