A Longitudinal Cohort Study to Evaluate Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Disease in Haiti

Overview

Investigators will establish a longitudinal cohort of \~3,000 adults \>18 years in Port-au-Prince using multistage random sampling, and follow them longitudinally to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and diseases. Cardiovascular risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, kidney disease, poor diet, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and inflammation. Cardiovascular disease include angina and myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and CVD mortality. It is anticipated that hypertension prevalence will be ≥10% in 18-30 year olds, that hypertension incidence will be \>10 events/1000 person years. Association of determinants and risk factors with CVD will also be examined. Whole blood, serum, plasma, stool, and urine samples will be biobanked for future studies.

Investigators propose a longitudinal observational study which includes establishing a population-based longitudinal cohort to determine the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases in Haiti. Cardiovascular risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, dyslipidemia, smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, poor diet, and inflammation. Cardiovascular diseases include angina and myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke and cardiac death. The cohort will include \~3,000 adults (\>18 years) living in Port-au-Prince who will be followed longitudinally. Participants will be selected via multistage random sampling using census blocks . The GHESKIO Community Advisory Board and GHESKIO community health workers (CHWs) will conduct community sensitization about the study prior to study recruitment. CHWs will introduce the study to selected households and individuals, who will then be referred to the research team at GHESKIO for informed consent and study enrollment procedures. Participants will complete the study enrollment, 12- and 24-month, in addition to subsequent annual study visits at GHESKIO. These study visits include a study questionnaire, measurement of blood pressure and assessment for cardiovascular symptoms and events. Laboratory measures and an electrocardiogram will be done at study enrollment and the 24-month visit, and subsequently every 2 years. Participants will also provide blood, urine and stool samples for biobanking at study enrollment. Blood and urine will be collected at 24, 48 and 72 months, with stool also collected at 72 months. CHWs will perform home visits every 6 months on all participants to update locator information, measure blood pressure, and ask about cardiovascular symptoms and events. CHWs will also call the participant every three months to confirm contact information. Any participant who reports a cardiovascular symptom or event to research staff at any time during the study will be referred to the GHESKIO clinic or to a GHESKIO-affiliate hospital for clinical care. The research team will abstract data from medical records of referred patients on information regarding diagnosis codes, laboratory results, diagnostic imaging and cause of death.