cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) stand as the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with approximately 17.9 million deaths attributed to CVD annually. In Pakistan, CVDs accounted for over 16% of deaths in 2020, ranking the country 30th globally with a death rate of 193.56 per 100,000 people. While research predominantly originates from Western countries, the variability in lifestyle, genetics, and living standards among populations underscores the necessity of gathering local data to assess CVD risk factors accurately. Consequently, a cross-sectional study was conducted within the Pakistani population to explore the associated risk factors for CVD. The study encompassed CVD patients as the case group and a healthy cohort from the Pakistani population as the control group. Further categorization of CVD patients into newly diagnosed (NDCVD) and previously diagnosed (PDCVD) subgroups was conducted. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, who underwent a brief interview to complete a questionnaire on personal information and medical history. Following WHO guidelines, intravenous blood samples were drawn from all subjects after 10 to 12 hours of fasting for lipid profile analysis, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) level. Statistical analysis was performed on the data obtained through the questionnaire and lipid profile analysis. A total of 2,497 participants were enrolled, comprising 715 NDCVD patients, 927 PDCVD patients, and 855 healthy individuals as the control group. Notably, the study unveils a concerning trend with a mean age of 47.5 years among newly diagnosed CVD patients. Significant disparities were observed in smoking habits and BMI across all three distinguished groups. Additionally, newly diagnosed CVD patients exhibited lower physical activity levels, higher consumption of street food, and a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia compared to previously diagnosed CVD patients and the control group. Moreover, there was a notable increase in the proportion of females affected by CVD over time. These findings underscore the imperative for tailored interventions and continued research efforts to address the evolving landscape of CVD within the Pakistani population.

Index Terms- Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Hypertension