Search

Background and Objective: Atherogenic dyslipidemia, which is characterized by increased triglyceride levels and reduced HDL cholesterol levels, is underestimated and undertreated in clinical practice. We assessed its prevalence and the achievement of therapeutic objectives for HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients treated at lipid and vascular risk units in Spain., Patients and Method: This was an observational, longitudinal, retrospective, multicenter study performed in 14 autonomous Spanish communities that consecutively included 1828 patients aged ≥18 years who were referred for dyslipidemia and vascular risk to 43 lipid clinics accredited by the Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis. We collected information from the medical records corresponding to 2 visits conducted during 2010 and 2011-12, respectively., Results: Of the 1649 patients who had a lipid profile in the first visit (90.2%), 295 (17.9%) had atherogenic dyslipidemia. The factors associated with atherogenic dyslipidemia were excess weight/obesity, not taking hypolipidemic drugs (statins and/or fibrates), diabetes, myocardial infarction and previous heart failure. Of the 273 (92.5%) patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia that had a lipid profile in the last visit, 44 (16.1%) achieved the therapeutic objectives for HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The predictors of therapeutic success were normal weight and normoglycemia., Conclusion: One of every 6 patients treated in lipid and vascular risk units had atherogenic dyslipidemia. The degree to which the therapeutic goals for HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels were achieved in these patients was very low., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To examine the type of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and treatment and achievement of treatment goals in blood pressure and lipids in hypertensive patients in primary care., Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study of all medical records of hypertensive patients, from which patients with antihypertensive treatment who visited the 25 Primary Health Care Centers of the 6(th) sanitary district of Madrid during 2008 were selected., Results: From a total of 92,079 patients, 19,501 (21 2%) with an arterial hypertension had a previous diagnosis of CVD (23.9% in males and 19.1% in females). In hypertensive with CVD, the most frequent diagnosis and their proportion in males and females were: ischemic heart disease 35.6% (43.7%/27.6%), atrial fibrillation 29.5% (25%/33.9%), stroke 24% (22%/26.7%), chronic renal disease 15.7% (18.2%/13.2%), heart failure 15.3% (10.4%/20.2%) and peripheral artery disease 7.5% (8.7%/6.4%) (P<.05). Antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs and antiplatelet therapy were used more often by males, with women predominating in the prescription of diuretics and angiotensin receptor blockers and anticoagulants, (P<.05).The proportion of patients with blood pressure<140/90 mmHg was 60.5% and 59.1%, and that of LDL-cholesterol <100mg/ dl was 40.4% y 31% (P<.005), in males and females, respectively., Conclusions: In almost all the 20,000 patients with CVD studied, substantial gender differences in the prevalence, therapy and achievements of goals in the different types of CVD were observed. These results suggest the convenience of homogenization of the computerized registries at the present, for monitoring results over time, with no need of continuous sampling-based studies., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: There is little information available on Therapeutic Inertia in Primary Care (PC). This study aimed to know the therapeutic behavior of the physician for uncontrolled hypertensive patients., Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional, multicenter study that included hypertensive patients of both genders, under pharmacological treatment who were recruited consecutively in the PC out-patient clinic in all of Spain. Social-demographic, clinical and treatment data were recorded, as well as the motives for eventual therapeutic modification. Adequate BP control was considered when BP values were below 140/90 mmHg in general, and below 130/80 mmHg in diabetes, renal insufficiency or cardiovascular disease., Results: A total of 10,520 patients (53.7% women) were included with average age of 64.6 (11.3 years). Of these, 44.4% the patients were receiving monotherapy and 55.6% were treated with combined therapy (two drugs 41.2%, three drugs 11.7%, and more than three 2.8%). Uncontrolled hypertension was found in 58.6% (95% CI. 57.6-59.5) of the patients. Treatment was modified by physicians in 30.4% (95% CI. 29.2-31.6) of the uncontrolled patients, combination with another drug being the most frequent behavior (46.3%), followed by dose increase (26.1%), and antihypertensive drug switch (22.8%). The perception of the physician of good BP control was the factor most associated with not modifying the treatment in uncontrolled patients., Conclusions: Study results showed that the PC physician modified antihypertensive treatment in only 3 out of 10 uncontrolled patients. When treatment modification was made, association of drugs was the most frequent behavior.

Introduction: This study examined the association of self-care behavior and patients' knowledge about self-care with rehospitalization among older adults with heart failure (HF)., Methods: Case-control comparison (116 cases and 209 controls) nested in a prospective cohort of patients aged 65 years and older admitted for HF at 4 Spanish hospitals. Cases were patients experiencing a first emergency rehospitalization in the 6 months following the index hospital admission. Controls were patients who did not undergo a rehospitalization during such time-period., Results: The number of self-care behaviors was inversely associated with the frequency of readmission (p for linear trend: 0.006). Compared with patients showing the appropriate self-care behavior, hospital readmission was more frequent among those who did no go for a walk daily or did not engage in any daily physical activity (hazard ratio [HR] 1.55; 95% confidence limits [CL] 1.04-2.29), and among those who did not keep their medical appointments (HR 1.82; 95% CL 1.10-3.02). Hospital readmission was also more frequent among patients who: failed to take their medication at the scheduled time (HR 2.07; 95% CL 1.15-3.72); stopped taking their medication when it disagreed with them (HR 1.76; 95% CL 1.08-2.85); and failed to adhere to their drug treatment (HR 1.96; 95% CL 1.29-2.98). Furthermore, the fewer the number of behaviors which patients knew to be required for self-care, the greater the frequency of rehospitalization (p for linear trend:0.029)., Conclusions: A lower degree of self-care and of patients' knowledge about self-care predicted a higher risk of hospital readmission.

Background and Objectives: Most hypertensive patients do not have their blood pressure (BP) under control. This study aims to evaluate Primary Care physicians' management of hypertension by analyzing the four main areas proposed by experts to improve BP control., Material and Methods: From February to May 2003 a questionnaire was completed by 195 Primary Care physicians from 33 Primary Care centers of Madrid, Spain. Four aspects of clinical practice were examined: a) knowledge of hypertension guidelines and objectives; b) diagnosis and follow-up of patients; c) hypertension treatment, and d) drug compliance., Results: Guidelines were followed by 90.6% of the physicians. Twenty six percent of the physicians perceived that guideline objectives are too strict and only 32% identified systolic BP as the component that provides more risk. Only 14% used automatic devices to measure BP while 89% still use the mercury sphygmomanometer. Diuretics were included among the 3 most used antihypertensive drugs by 94% of the physicians, ACEI by 91%, beta blockers by 62% and combinations only by 24%. Eighty eight percent believed that more than 40% of their patients have their BP under control and 53% felt that less than 20% of their patients were non-compliant with antihypertensive treatment., Conclusions: Hypertension management among Primary Care physicians showed some deficiencies in the 4 analyzed areas. Thus, perception of excessively rigorous guideline objectives, underrating of systolic BP, underuse of automatic devices and drug associations, and the overestimation of BP control and therapeutic compliance are specific areas that should be modified to improve BP control.

Background and Objectives: The remarkable increase in hospital admissions from heart failure in Spain in the last few years may result paradoxical because it coincides with a decrease in ischemic heart disease mortality, the leading cause of heart failure. A plausible explanation is the increase in ischemic heart disease survival, derived from the recent therapeutic advances, which will translate into an increase in the chronic forms of disease. Thus, an analysis was made of mortality and hospital admission trends due to acute and chronic ischemic heart diseases in the 1980-1994 period in Spain., Methods: Population-based study of temporal trends with data of primary diagnosis of acute (CIE-9: 410-411) and chronic (CIE-9: 412-414) ischemic heart disease obtained from the National Vital Statistics and the National Survey of Hospital Morbidity., Results: The number of deaths due to acute ischemic heart disease has increased by 8.3%, from 18,559 in 1980 to 20,101 in 1994. Deaths due to chronic ischemic heart disease increased by 49.3%, from 4,703 in 1980 to 7,020 in 1994. As a result, chronic forms accounted for 20.2% of all deaths attributable to ischemic heart disease in 1980 and 25.8% in 1994. The age-adjusted acute ischemic heart disease mortality rates decreased by 20.1%, whereas those due to chronic increased by 14.6%. The number and rate of age-adjusted hospital admissions increased remarkably for both acute and chronic ischemic heart disease. Nevertheless, the increase observed with chronic form was higher, from 39.4% of all hospital admissions due to ischemic heart disease in 1980 to 58.4% in 1994. This classification of ischemic heart disease was more notorious among males and younger patients., Conclusion: Currently, we are witnessing a transition from acute to chronic ischemic heart disease. That partly explains the increase in hospital care for heart diseases, particularly ischemic heart disease and heart failure.

The document "Cholesterolemia control in Spain, 2000: a tool for cardiovascular disease prevention" reviews the current evidence on cardiovascular disease prevention and the therapeutic advances achieved in recent years, in order to aid risk-based clinical decision-making. Cardiovascular diseases rank as the first cause of death in Spain. Their demographic, health and social impact is increasing and it is likely to continue to do so in the next decades. Appropriate treatment for high blood cholesterol and other major risk factors is crucial in cardiovascular disease prevention. Individual risk stratification is essential to determine follow-up periodicity and treatment. Priorities for the control of cholesterolemia and the consequent cardiovascular risk are based on risk stratification. In primary prevention, the therapeutic objective in high risk patients has been established as LDL-cholesterol < 130 mg/dl. In secondary prevention, drug treatment is indicated when LDL-cholesterol > or = 130 mg/dl and the therapeutic objective is LDL-cholesterol < 100 mg/dl. Statins are first line drugs for treatment of high blood cholesterol. In moderate-severe hypertriglyceridemia or low HDL-cholesterol, fibrates are preferred. In acute coronary syndrome, hypolipemiant treatment, should be started as soon as possible, when indicated. Secondary prevention programmes that continually provide good clinical and risk factor control should be provided to coronary heart disease patients.

Cardiovascular diseases is the first cause of death in Spain, as it occurs in most western countries, with a crude death rate of 306 per 100,000 inhabitants in the male population and 351 in the female population in 1987. While this represented a 44.9% of all death causes in 1976, it represented a 42.6% in 1987. Death due to cardiovascular diseases, once corrected for the aging population, has decreased at a yearly rate of 1.26% in males and 1.6% in females from 1968 to 1987 (last year with available date). Most part of the decrease is due to a mean annual decrease of 3% in cerebrovascular mortality since the mid 70s, followed by a reduction in coronary deaths, slightly above 1% annually, since approximately the same time. The changes in life style that have taken place, together with medical and surgical advances and the influence of other factors which have not been so widely studied could be responsible for the potential saving of over 12,000 deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, which would have been added to those occurred in 1987 if mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases had been the same as in 1976. The difficulty to assign a quantified degree of responsibility changes constitutes a research challenge, not discrediting the preventive action on this facts which are already known.