[What do Swiss doctors think about cardiovascular risk factors and guidelines?]

While cardiovascular diseases are highly prevalent, their risk factors, especially hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, are also very treatable with medication. Nevertheless, only a comparatively small percentage of patients in European countries meet the guideline recommendations. This survey of 224 Swiss physicians showed that smoking was considered a higher risk factor for cardiovascular disease than hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. The vast majority of respondents rated their knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors as high. In particular, a majority of respondents were not convinced by the available data on primary prevention and considered higher blood pressure and lipid levels to be appropriate in old age and therefore deemed the guideline recommendations in this regard too strict. Interestingly, however, the majority did not see the strict guidelines as the main obstacle to implementing the recommendations, but rather a lack of patient adherence, side effects, or insufficient patient knowledge.