MELEN Study: Rationale, Methodology and Basic Results

Aim: The aim of the Melen Study was to investigate the cardiovascular risk profile of Turkish adults by utilizing newest techniques. Besides prevalence and types of endemic goiter will be established which was an important health problem in the Black sea region Method: The study was conducted on 2230 participants (1427 women, 803 men with a mean age of 49). The participants underwent a Doppler Ultrasound examination of carotid intima media thickness, echocardiographic examination, ECG recording, bioempedance meter analysis of body composition, pulmonary function test and various biochemical analysis. Result: Twenty nine percent of the population had hypertension, 12% had diabetes mellitus and 17% were smokers. Thyroid ultrasonography revealed that 29% of the cohort had goiter. Echocardiographic measurements showed that 39% of the participants had diastolic dysfunction. Comparison of males with females showed that men had significantly higher visceral fat, triglyceride, hemoglobin and CIMT whereas women had higher mean diastolic blood pressure, HDL and total cholesterol. Conclusion: According to the histories of patients, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking were very frequent among Turkish adults. Among the objectively measured variables, diastolic dysfunction, visceral adiposity and goiter were strikingly high.