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Published on: September 26, 2018

[PREVENCAT study: control of cardiovascular risk in primary care]

Luis A Alvarez-Sala1, Carmen Suárez, Teresa Mantilla

  • 1Departamento de Medicina, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.

Medicina Clinica
|April 1, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Cardiovascular risk factor control is insufficient in primary care patients with hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. Metabolic syndrome affects half of these patients, highlighting a critical public health concern.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Primary Care Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) are often studied individually.
  • The PREVENCAT study addresses CVRF control in patients with hypertension (HT), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), and/or hypercholesterolemia (HC) in primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the control of CVRF in primary care patients with HT, DM2, and/or HC.
  • To assess the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) in this patient group.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter, cross-sectional study involving primary care physicians in Spain.
  • Recruitment of patients diagnosed with HT, DM2, and/or HC.
  • Assessment of blood pressure, cholesterol, glycaemia, obesity, smoking status, and physical activity.

Main Results:

  • 2,649 patients were recruited; 51.6% were women, with a mean age of 64 years.
  • Hypertension was the most frequent diagnosis (78.9%), followed by hypercholesterolemia (58.4%) and DM2 (37.4%).
  • Control rates were suboptimal: 40.0% for blood pressure, 42.6% for cholesterol, and 62.7% for basal glycaemia. Only 15.6% had a healthy BMI, 46.2% practiced regular physical activity, and 87.5% were non-smokers. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 50.6%.

Conclusions:

  • Cardiovascular risk factor control in primary care is inadequate.
  • Less than half of patients with HT, DM2, and HC are effectively managed.
  • Overweight and sedentary lifestyles present significant challenges in this population.
Abstract

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