Assessment of cardiovascular risk of patients with arterial hypertension of a public health unit

Abstract

Objective: To assess the cardiovascular risk, using the Framinghamrisk score, in a sample of hypertensive individuals coming from a public primary care unit. Methods: The caseload comprised hypertensiveindividuals according to criteria established by the JNC VII, 2003, of2003, among 1601 patients followed up in 1999, at the Cardiology andArterial Hypertension Outpatients Clinic of the Teaching Primary CareUnit, at the Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade deSão Paulo. The patients were selected by draw, aged over 20 years,both genders, excluding pregnant women. It was a descriptive, crosssectional, observational study. The Framingham risk score was used to stratify cardiovascular risk of developing coronary artery disease (death or non-fatal acute myocardial infarction). Results: Age range of 27-79 years (x = 63.2 ± 9.58). Out of 382 individuals studied, 270 (70.7%) were female and 139 (36.4%) were characterized as high cardiovascular risk for presenting diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis documented by event or procedure. Out of 243 stratified patients, 127 (52.3%) had HDL-C < 50 mg/dL; 210 (86.4%) had systolic blood pressure ≥ 120 mmHg; 46 (18.9%) were smokers; 33 (13.6%) had a high cardiovascular risk. Those added to 139 enrolled directly as high cardiovascular risk, totaled up 172 (45%); 77 (20.2%) of medium cardiovascular risk and 133 (34.8%) of low risk. The highest percentage of high cardiovascular risk individuals was aged over 70 years; those of medium risk were aged over 60 years; and the low risk patients were aged 50 to 69 years. Conclusion: The significant number of high and medium cardiovascular risk individuals indicates the need to closely follow them up.

Keywords

• Hypertension/prevention & control
• Cardiovascular diseases/ prevention & control
• Dyslipidemias
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Smoking
• Primary prevention
• Risk assessment
• Health centers