BMC Public Health. 2015 Mar 31;15:307. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1659-8.

Prevalence and management of cardiovascular risk factors in Portuguese living in Portugal and Portuguese who migrated to Switzerland.

Alves L^1,^2,³, Azevedo A^4,⁵, Barros H^6,⁷, Vollenweider P⁸, Waeber G⁹, Marques-Vidal P¹⁰.

Author information

1: EPIUnit - Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP), Porto, Portugal. lalves@med.up.pt.
2: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal. lalves@med.up.pt.
3: St. André de Canidelo Family Health Unit, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. lalves@med.up.pt.
4: EPIUnit - Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP), Porto, Portugal. anazev@med.up.pt.
5: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal. anazev@med.up.pt.
6: EPIUnit - Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP), Porto, Portugal. hbarros@med.up.pt.
7: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal. hbarros@med.up.pt.
8: Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine, CHUV and Faculty of biology and medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland. Peter.Vollenweider@chuv.ch.
9: Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine, CHUV and Faculty of biology and medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland. Gerard.Waeber@chuv.ch.
10: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (IUMSP), Lausanne University Hospital, Biopole 2, Route de la Corniche 10, CH, 1010, Lausanne, Switzerland. Pedro-Manuel.Marques-Vidal@chuv.ch.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Information regarding the health status of migrants compared to subjects who remain in the country of origin is scarce. We compared the levels and management of the main cardiovascular risk factors between Portuguese living in Porto (Portugal) and Portuguese migrants living in Lausanne (Switzerland).

METHODS:

Cross-sectional studies conducted in Porto (EPIPorto, 1999 to 2003, n = 1150) and Lausanne (CoLaus, 2003 to 2006, n = 388) among subjects aged 35-65 years. Educational level, medical history and time since migration were collected using structured questionnaires. Body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels were measured using standardized procedures.

RESULTS:

Portuguese living in Lausanne were younger, more frequently male and had lower education than Portuguese living in Porto. After multivariate adjustment using Poisson regression, no differences were found between Portuguese living in Porto or in Lausanne: prevalence rate ratio (PRR) and (95% confidence interval) for Portuguese living in Lausanne relative to Portuguese living in Porto: 0.92 (0.71 - 1.18) for current smoking; 0.78 (0.59 - 1.04) for obesity; 0.81 (0.62 - 1.05) for abdominal obesity; 0.82 (0.64 - 1.06) for hypertension; 0.88 (0.75 - 1.04) for hypercholesterolemia and 0.92 (0.49 - 1.73) for diabetes. Treatment and control rates for hypercholesterolemia were higher among Portuguese living in Lausanne: PRR = 1.91 (1.15 - 3.19) and 3.98 (1.59 - 9.99) for treatment and control, respectively. Conversely, no differences were found regarding hypertension treatment and control rates: PRR = 0.98 (0.66 - 1.46) and 0.97 (0.49 - 1.91), respectively, and for treatment rates of diabetes: PRR = 1.51 (0.70 - 3.25).

CONCLUSIONS:

Portuguese living in Lausanne, Switzerland, present a similar cardiovascular risk profile but tend to be better managed regarding hypercholesterolemia than Portuguese living in Porto, Portugal.