Risk Factors of Ischaemic Heart Disease in 419 385 Outpatients: a Long-term Comparative Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of mortality globally.
• Identifying and monitoring risk factors in primary care settings is crucial for public health initiatives.
• Polyclinic visits offer a valuable opportunity to assess population-level risk factor prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence rate of easily measurable risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD) among patients attending local polyclinics.
• To analyze trends in key cardiovascular risk factors over a defined follow-up period.

Main Methods:

• A large cohort of 419,385 patients visiting polyclinics between 2018-2023 was analyzed.
• Key risk factors including arterial hypertension, total cholesterol (TC), and blood plasma glucose were identified.
• Data on blood pressure, glucose levels, TC, and body mass index were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• The proportion of patients with blood pressure >140/90 mmHg decreased, but remained high at 49.7% by study's end.
• A significant decrease was observed in patients with blood glucose >6.1 mmol/l, yet it still exceeded 10%.
• High total cholesterol levels (>5.2 mmol/l) persisted in 63.1% of patients, with no significant change observed.

Conclusions:

• Patients visiting residential polyclinics exhibit a persistent high incidence of major IHD risk factors.
• Arterial hypertension, elevated total cholesterol, and high blood glucose remain prevalent challenges in primary care.
• Effective public health strategies are needed to address these ongoing cardiovascular risk factors in the community.