Sex differences and trends in managing cardiovascular risk factors in primary care: a dynamic cohort study

Treatment targets for cardiovascular risk management (CVRM) make no distinction between women and men.

To explore sex differences in achieving treatment targets in patients who participated in a nurse-led, integrated CVRM care programme in primary care between 2013 and 2019.

We conducted a dynamic cohort study in the Eindhoven region, which is the south-eastern part of the Netherlands.

We assessed outcomes of three biological risk factors (systolic blood pressure [SBP], low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol, and estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]) and four lifestyle factors (smoking, physical activity, alcohol intake, and body mass index [BMI]). Points (1 = on target; 0 = not on target) were assigned for biological risk factors, lifestyle factors, and an overall score. Using the annual results, we applied multivariable regression models to study trends over time and differences in trends between women and men.

The number of participants increased from 24,889 to 38,067, mean age increased from 67.3 years to 71.5 years, with around 52 % women each year. The average of seven risk factors on target increased significantly from 4.6 to 4.9 in women, and from 4.7 to 5.0 in men, with no statistical difference between women and men. Differences between women and men in 2013 in the number of both biological and lifestyle factors on target did not materially change over time.

Integrated cardiovascular management care led to improvements in cardiovascular risk factors on target, equally well in women than in men. Differences in risk factors on target between women and men in 2013 were still present in 2019.