[Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among patients suffering vascular events on admission and one year later].

Background: International studies show a low compliance with norms for the management of cardiovascular risk factors.
Aim: To assess the prevalence of risk factors in patients admitted for a coronary or vascular event and to evaluate the proportion of patients that normalize these factors after one year of follow up.
Material and Methods: Three hundred and fifty seven patients aged 64+/-13 years (264 males), admitted to a University Clinical Hospital for a coronary or vascular event were studied. They were educated about cardiovascular risk factors and followed by their treating physicians for a mean of 11.9+/-2 months. During this period, smoking habits, body mass index. blood pressure, serum lipid levels, blood glucose and the appearance of new cardiovascular events were registered.
Results: One year survival was 96% (all 13 deaths were of cardiac origin). Eighty seven percent of patients were free of major cardiovascular events. At discharge from hospital and at the end of follow up 49% and 44% had a total cholesterol over 200 mg/dl respectively, 9,6% and 20,8% had systolic pressure over 140 mmHg. There was no diastolic hypertension in these patients, 27% and 31% had a body mass index over 25 kg/m2 and 2% smoked (versus 32% before the event).
Conclusions: After one year of follow up, the prevalence of risk factors in patients that had suffered a cardiovascular event, continues to be high.