Value of estimating pulse wave velocity compared to SCORE in cardiovascular risk stratification in community pharmacies / Valor de la estimación de la velocidad de onda de pulso en comparación con SCORE en la estratificación del riesgo cardiovascular en farmacias comunitarias

Objectives Arterial stiffness is considered to be an intermediate marker with independent prognostic value. The objective of this study is to assess whether the estimation of arterial stiffness can improve CV risk stratification compared to SCORE in patients at community pharmacies. Methods Observational prospective epidemiological study in which consecutive individuals entering a participating Community Pharmacy are offered a voluntary measurement of blood pressure and estimation of pulse wave velocity by oscillometry (AGEDIO, IEM®) to stratify their CV risk according to SCORE compared to the use of arterial stiffness. Results After nine months of recruitment, data from 923 patients (570 women, 353 men) were collected. 16/122 (13.1%) patients under 40 years and 72/364 (19.8%) over 65 years of age presented pathological stiffness and could be classified as high-risk, even though being out of the age-range of SCORE. Of the 437 (47.3%) patients who were susceptible to calculating SCORE, 42/437 patients (9.6%) presented pathological arterial stiffness. Cholesterol values were available in 281 patients (64.3%). Among them, according to SCORE, only 6 (2.1%) fell into the high-risk category. Conclusions More than half of the subjects who randomly enter a community pharmacy had ages that make it impossible to calculate the CV risk by SCORE. Among them, arterial damage was detected in 18.1%. Of the other half, 9.6% presented arterial damage and, therefore, high CV risk, when SCORE only detected it in 2.1%. Therefore, estimating arterial stiffness in community pharmacies markedly improves detection of high CV risk compared to SCORE (AU)

Objetivos La rigidez arterial es un marcador intermedio con valor pronóstico independiente. Nuestro objetivo es valorar si la estimación de la rigidez arterial puede mejorar la estratificación del riesgo cardiovascular (CV) en comparación con SCORE. Métodos Estudio epidemiológico observacional prospectivo en el que se ofrece a pacientes consecutivos que entran en una farmacia participante la medición voluntaria de la presión arterial y de la velocidad de onda de pulso estimada por oscilometría (AGEDIO, IEM®) para estratificar su riesgo CV según SCORE o según la presencia de rigidez arterial. Resultados Tras 9 meses de reclutamiento, presentamos datos de 923 pacientes (570 mujeres, 353 hombres). Dieciséis/122 (13,1%) pacientes <40años y 72/364 (19,8%) >65años presentaron rigidez arterial patológica y fueron clasificados de alto riesgo, aun hallándose fuera del rango de edad de SCORE. De los 437 (47,3%) pacientes evaluables por SCORE, 42/437 pacientes (9,6%) mostraron rigidez elevada. Los valores de colesterol estaban disponibles en 281 de estos pacientes (64,3%). Entre ellos, según SCORE, solo 6 (2,1%) eran de la categoría de alto riesgo. Conclusiones Más de la mitad de sujetos que entran aleatoriamente en una farmacia comunitaria tenían edades situadas fuera de los rangos de SCORE, imposibilitando el cálculo del riesgo CV con SCORE. En este grupo se constató daño arterial en el 18,1%. En la otra mitad, el 9,6% presentaron daño vascular y, consecuentemente, riesgo elevado, mientras que SCORE solo detectó riesgo elevado en el 2,1%. Por tanto, la estimación de la rigidez arterial en farmacias comunitarias mejora claramente la detección de riesgo CV elevado en comparación con SCORE (AU)

Value of estimating pulse wave velocity compared to SCORE in cardiovascular risk stratification in community pharmacies.

OBJECTIVES: Arterial stiffness is considered to be an intermediate marker with independent prognostic value. The objective of this study is to assess whether the estimation of arterial stiffness can improve CV risk stratification compared to SCORE in patients at community pharmacies. METHODS: Observational prospective epidemiological study in which consecutive individuals entering a participating Community Pharmacy are offered a voluntary measurement of blood pressure and estimation of pulse wave velocity by oscillometry (AGEDIO, IEM®) to stratify their CV risk according to SCORE compared to the use of arterial stiffness. RESULTS: After nine months of recruitment, data from 923 patients (570 women, 353 men) were collected. 16/122 (13.1%) patients under 40 years and 72/364 (19.8%) over 65 years of age presented pathological stiffness and could be classified as high-risk, even though being out of the age-range of SCORE. Of the 437 (47.3%) patients who were susceptible to calculating SCORE, 42/437 patients (9.6%) presented pathological arterial stiffness. Cholesterol values were available in 281 patients (64.3%). Among them, according to SCORE, only 6 (2.1%) fell into the high-risk category. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the subjects who randomly enter a community pharmacy had ages that make it impossible to calculate the CV risk by SCORE. Among them, arterial damage was detected in 18.1%. Of the other half, 9.6% presented arterial damage and, therefore, high CV risk, when SCORE only detected it in 2.1%. Therefore, estimating arterial stiffness in community pharmacies markedly improves detection of high CV risk compared to SCORE.