Cardiovascular Risk Factors. A Multicenter Uncontrolled Follow-Up Study

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Abstract

Background
Cardiovascular disease is still one of the leading causes of mortality in our country. It has been well documented that adequate changes in lifestyle are beneficial for primary and secondary prevention.  However, it is difficult to apply or maintain these measures in the real world. The ENASE study was developed as a program to train physicians in the knowledge of good dietary habits and exercise to help patients to incorporate healthy behaviors in everyday life.

Objective
To evaluate if a plan designed to train attending physicians can produce changes in the patients.

Material and Methods
We conducted a prospective, multicenter and uncontrolled study on 508 patients with a follow-up of three years in 17 provinces and in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired Student’s t test and the Wilcoxon test.

Results

With the help of primary physicians, this population increased physical activity and made significant changes in eating habits. Blood pressure, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and blood sugar levels decreased significantly and progressively from the first to the third year of follow-up. HDL-cholesterol increased significantly while body weight showed a slight and non-significant reduction. The prescription of medical treatment did not change during the three years, except for a greater use of statins in accordance with the recommendations suggested by national guidelines.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that a plan focused on educating and training physicians produces significant benefits on the cardiovascular health of patients.