Check-Up: Cardiovascular prevention I
The goal:
Reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke
Know your individual cardiovascular risk
Recognise the measures that can reduce this risk
Implementing a customised strategy
Accompanying the patient in the pursuit of objectives (coaching)
A check-up includes, among other things, an assessment of cardiovascular risk factors. The more factors are accumulated, the higher the risk of Myocardial infarction (IM) and Stroke is important. Changing these factors reduces the risk of suffering from one of these diseases.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors:
Sedentary (lack of regular physical activity)
Obesity (body mass index, BMI >29)
Smoking (cigarette, pipe, cigar, etc)
High blood pressure (HTA)
High cholesterol, especially LDL
Familial hypercholesterolemia
Diabetes
Family history of MI, stroke, diabetes or arterial disease
Personal history of cardiovascular disease
Aortic aneurysm
Atherosclerotic plaques
Chronic renal failure
Sleep apnea (OSA)
To modify them we can distinguish the Primary prevention of the Secondary preventionbefore or after MI or stroke respectively. The goal of primary prevention is to decrease the risk of MI and stroke. The goal of secondary prevention is to decrease the risk of recurrence.
The'Atherosclerosis is the disease that causes MI and stroke. It consists of cholesterol deposits in the arteries that can block them. This disease takes more than ten years to develop and the earlier and longer you act, the lower the risk. The more risk factors accumulate, the higher the risk. And the higher the risk, the more we can reduce it with prevention strategies.
So, to find out if anyone has one or more of these risk factors, you need to get a detailed history of personal and family history, a clinical examination, a blood test, and possibly an electrocardiogram (ECG).
The next step is to identify the individual factors that may modify the disease and, together with the patient, design a strategy to reduce the individual risk of developing the disease.
To reduce cardiovascular risk, it is necessary to:
Identify individual risks
Estimate (calculate) personal risk of MI and/or stroke
Establish individual risk modification targets
Improvement of lifestyle (hygiene)
Pharmacological treatment if indicated or necessary
This whole process is to be followed by Your doctor who will guide you and discuss with you all the options for personalised treatment and prevention.
More in-depth INFORMATION to follow: Cardiovascular prevention II
References:
Piepoli MF et al, 2016 European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: The Sixth Joint Task Force of The European Society of Cardiology and Other Societies on cardiovascular disease prevention in Clinical practice (prostituted by Representatives of 10 societies and by invited experts: developed with the special contribution of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation (EACPR). Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2016 Jul; 23 (11)
Nagi D, cardiovascular prevention at the firm. Medical Gazette. Vol .6 _ N ° 1_janvier/February 2017. 15-17.
Collins R, interpretation of the evidence for the efficacy and safety of statin therapy. Lancet. 2016 Nov 19; 388 (10059): 2532-2561
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