Total cardiovascular risk: a new treatment concept

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Preventive Medicine
• Clinical Hypertension

Background:

• Cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes often coexist.
• Total cardiovascular risk assessment is key in hypertension management guidelines.
• Patients with normal or high-normal blood pressure can still be at high risk due to additional factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of identifying and managing high-risk patients often under-diagnosed.
• To emphasize intensive antihypertensive therapy for high-risk individuals.
• To advocate for a multifactorial approach in managing cardiovascular risk.

Main Methods:

• Review of current hypertension management guidelines.
• Analysis of patient profiles with clustered cardiovascular risk factors.
• Discussion of therapeutic strategies for high-risk individuals.

Main Results:

• High-risk patients may present with normal or high-normal blood pressure (130-139/80-89 mmHg).
• These patients often have target-organ damage and associated clinical conditions.
• Intensive therapy, frequently requiring combination drugs, is recommended.

Conclusions:

• Under-diagnosis of high-risk cardiovascular patients is common.
• Multifactorial treatment addressing all reversible risk factors is essential.
• Future research should focus on reversing subclinical damage to prevent cardiovascular risk progression.