Survey on Prevalence of Cardiac Disease and its Risk Factors in Adults in Turkey: 1. Description of Methods

With the purpose of determining the prevalence of heart disease and its risk factors in Turkish adults, a random sample of the population consisting of 3689 persons 20 years of age or older were surveyed in a total of 59 communities spread all over Turkey. The sample was representatively stratified for sex, age, geographic regions as well as the rural-urban distribution. Physical examination of the cardiovascular system was performed and an electrocardiogram recorded in each subject. Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides were measured by the portable analyzer Reflotron. Validation of cholesterol values were carried out in a random sample of about 6 % of sera in a reference laboratory, and a high coefficient of correlation (r=0.90) was found between results of the two methods. Obesity was evaluated using the body weight index. Minnesota coding was used in the interpretation of the ECGs. This first paper describes the methodology of the newly conducted survey.