Prevalence of Coronary Risk Factors in Argentina. REDIFA (Relevamiento de los Distritos SAC de los factores de riesgo coronario) Study

pp 300-311

Abstract

Coronary risk factors modification should be an integral part of the optimal health care of a population. Medical guidelines are be based on epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and cost-effectiveness analyses. Despite the great body of evidence, risk factors are frequently not assessed, treated, and controlled in current practice. Therefore, it is useful to identify the prevalence of coronary risk factors and the possible barriers avoiding the implementation of preventive guidelines in Argentina.

Methods 

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 187 localities of 21 provinces of Ar­gentina. Subjects, aged ≥18 years, of both sexes, were randomly selected from the general population. A questionnaire was used to identify coronary risk factors, socio-demographic sta­tus and history of any disease.

Results 

The average age of the 14584 subjects included in the study was 43,5±16 years. Sixty percent reported secondary or tertiary education, 32% did not have any social security coverage, and 12% were unemployed. Eleven percent of the subjects had never had their blood pressure measured and 37% of them had never had their serum cholesterol measured. Thirty-six percent were found to be overweighed (body mass in­dex [BMI]: 25-30) and 17% were obese (BMI >30), Percentages of patients reporting a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabe­tes were 25, 17 and 6, respectively. Thirty-nine percent of the analyzed population were smok­ers and 56% were sedentary. Unemployment, the loss of social security coverage and a low level of education were related to a lower con­trol of coronary risk factors and a non-compli­ance with pharmacological interventions. 

Conclusions 

In this study we confirmed the high prevalence of risk factors for coronary heart disease in a sample of the Argentinean population. Never­theless these risk factors could be modified and, therefore, prevented with the proper in­terventions, in the great majority of cases.