Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Knowledge in a Young Adult Subpopulation

To determine if young adults know their risk for CHD, specifically values for fasting blood glucose (gluc) and cholesterol (chol), and examination of prevalence of CHD risk factors among young adults attending a medium-sized university in the Southeast U.S. was carried out. 60 female college students (21.7 + or - 2.4 years) and 40 male students (21.4 + or - 1.7) completed a survey to assess health habits and CHD risk factors prior to completing a fitness testing battery. The exam included measured blood pressure, maximal aerobic fitness, strength measures, body composition, flexibility and balance. None of the women or men reported knowing their fasting chol or gluc concentrations.