The objective of the study was to determine some Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk factors in 174 Roma children and adolescents (88 males and 86 females) aged 7-18 in 3 Central Slovakian cities (44 from Zilina, 39 from Bansk, Bystrica and 91 from Rimavská Sobota). Venous blood samples were drawn in the morning, after a 12 hour overnight fast for biochemical analysis. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were determined enzymatically. HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) after selective precipitation lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated by the Friedewald Formula. Serum levels of apolipoproteins (apo A, apo B) were analyzed immunochemically. Concentration of lipoprotein a [Lp(a)] was analyzed by immunonephelometric method (Beckman-Coulter System). Anthropometric measurements, including weight, height, waist and hip circumference were used to calculate the sum of the body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR). Measured blood pressure (BP) was used to classify for hypertension. Significant differences were determined in serum levels of LDL-C (p < 0.05; by Tukey HSD test multiple comparison more significant difference was determined between Zilina and Rimavská Sobota p < 0.046), TG (p = 0.008), apo A (p < 0.001), Lp(a) (p = 0.042), WHR (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001), sBP (p < 0.001) and dBP (p = 0.012) in Roma individuals of all locality groups. The Roma population from Rimavsk, Sobota had (in comparison to the examined populations) statistically higher values of TC, TG, LDL-C, lower HDL-C. The population showed significant relation of TG and stress at home (p = 0.03) and at school (p = 0.01), HDL-C and cigarette smoking (p = 0.004), apo A and cigarette smoking (p = 0.02) and socioeconomic status (p = 0.006), WHR and cigarette smoking (p = 0.02). Risk values of WHR, apo B and Lp(a) were mostly determined in Zilina's population (WHR significantly connected with family history CVD p = 0.03, cigarette smoking p = 0.02 and leisure time physical activity p < 0.001) and BMI, apo A and BP in Banská Bystrica. WHR was positively correlated to BP and negatively to HDL-C and TG only in Roma participants from Rimavská Sobota. BMI was positively correlated to systolic BP in populations from Banská Bystrica and Rimavská Sobota. The results of the study should improve the paediatric health treatment and prevention of CVD risk predictors for Roma from different cities.

Department of Biology Faculty of Science Matthias Belius University Banská Bystrica Slovakia

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