RESUMO
Eliminating four behavioral risk factors (tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and harmful use of alcohol) could contribute to a decrease of up to 80% in burden of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Primary healthcare providers have a unique position within the healthcare system, which allows them to actively contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular behavioral risk factors (CVBRFs) by providing individual counseling. The aim of this article is to show the change in frequency and the effects of counseling on CVBRFs by healthcare providers between two periods: up until 2003 and between 2003 and 2008. Results, obtained within the CroHort study, show a low frequency and undesired effects of counseling within the healthcare system in both studied periods. This points to a lack of consistency with which the healthcare system tackles prevention of behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
Assuntos
Doenças Cardiovasculares/epidemiologia , Atenção à Saúde/organização & administração , Estudos de Coortes , Croácia/epidemiologia , Humanos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Arterial hypertension is the leading mortality risk factor. The aim of the study was to assess the rate of asymptomatic hypertension detected in a randomly selected population sample in Posusje Municipality according to the grade of hypertension (mild, moderate or severe) and risk factors. The following risk factors were analyzed: intake of saturated fatty acids, alcohol, tobacco products and black coffee. Asymptomatic hypertension was detected in 532 of 2000 (26.60%) subjects included in the study. In comparison to the rest of the study sample, these 532 subjects reported a statistically significantly higher consumption of saturated fatty acids, alcohol, tobacco products and black coffee.