Prediction of cardiovascular events in primary Health care: a cross sectional study (Monastir-Tunisia).

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to determine the prediction of cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension and diabetes using the 10-year Framingham score. METHODS: We conducted a cross sectional study in two primary health care centers in Monastir. We included patients with at least one conventional cardiovascular factors. Prediction of cardiovascular event were expressed by median and inter quartile range. RESULTS: We included 409 patients. Age mean was 64 years (SD: 12.3), the sex ratio was 0.44. Patients with type 2 Diabetes were 278 (68%) and 295 had hypertension (72.1%). The global risk prediction at 10 years for cardiovascular diseases was 26.3%, It was 36.6% (26.4-46.8) for tobacco users, 29.7% (18.2-42.5) for patients with hypertension and 29.1 % (18.8-43.3) for those with diabetes. It increased significantly with the number of cardiovascular risk factors. The risk prediction for cardiovascular events, were significantly higher in men than in women (p < 0.01) and in non-controlled patients than in controlled patients (p <0.001). The risk prediction for cardiovascular diseases death was 3.6% (1.3-8.6). CONCLUSION: Thirty percent of patients with hypertension or diabetes will develop cardiovascular diseases in 10 years. We suggest renforcing preventive actions to balance cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension and diabetes.

[Smoker teenagers in colleges of Zaghouan]. / Le tabagisme chez les collegiens de la region de Zaghouan.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study is to evaluate the rate of smoker adolescents in Zaghouan, to seek for the smoking reasons, the used arguments, recording to them, to stop, and show their knowledge about prevention. METHODS: A prospective study included 266 teenagers scolarised: 194 boys and 72 girls (aged from 12 to 16 years) from 3 colleges located in Zaghouan during 2006. A questionnaire was drawn up on these adolescents. It contains three parts: tabagic habits of smoking teenagers, the reasons of smoking and information about prevention. RESULTS: Twenty six percents of students are smokers, this percentage increases with the scholar level. They have parents' authorization in 18% of cases and have at least one smoker in their environment in 74% of cases. From whose who have tried tobacco, 65% became smokers. The most invoked causes are calming character of cigarettes and the pleasure to smoke. The first cigarette is smoked just for curiosity. The middle age of smoking initiation is 12 years. Twenty three percents of smoking students have tried to stop. The reasons are the dangerous character for health and the cost of tobacco. Adolescents prefer to use shocking pictures to self-sensitize (66%). Some pupils suggest calling smoker persons who are victims of tobacco to talk about their experiences. CONCLUSION: Adolescents' smoking is a Public Health priority in Tunisia. The rate of smoking, its cost and its bad health risks encourage us to make preventions, especially the education and information for children and help adolescents to stop smoking.