Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 65. No. 3, 2026.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2026.65.03.11
Prevalence of Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors Associated With Lifestyle Habits in Adults With Hemophilia in Croatia
Petra Bubalo
; Health Center Zagreb – West, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Silva Zupančić-Šalek
; Zagreb Prison Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of habits and lifestyle
factors associated with increased cardiovascular risk in patients with hemophilia,
including smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity, as well as the
prevalence of anthropometric measures, such as body mass index (BMI) and
waist circumference, in the same population.
The study included a total of 96 adult patients with hemophilia A or B. All
patients were treated at the Reference Center for Inherited and Acquired Disorders
of Hemostasis in Croatia at University Hospital Centre Zagreb.
Statistical analysis included appropriate numerical features of descriptive
statistics, as well as suitable statistical models. Categorical variables were described
using absolute and relative frequencies, while numerical variables were
presented depending on their distribution type.
Regarding lifestyle factors, 39.6% of the patients were active smokers and
75.0% reported consuming alcohol. Almost all patients (97.9%) met the minimum
for physical activity the Croatian Institute of Public Health. However, 38.5%
did not engage in intense physical activity. The largest proportion of participants
were overweight, with a BMI of 25–29.9 kg/m² (41.7%). Overall, 67.7% of
the patients were classified as either overweight or obese, representing approximately
two-thirds of the study population. These findings indicate that
Croatian patients with hemophilia demonstrate higher rates of smoking, alcohol
consumption, and overweight/obesity compared not only with hemophilia
populations reported in previous studies from other countries, but also with the
general population in Croatia, highlighting the importance of taking action to
reduce cardiovascular risk in this patient group.
Keywords
Hemophilia; BMI; Smoking; Alcohol; Physical activity
Hrčak ID:
351362
URI
Publication date:
28.9.2026.
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