SEA 2024 Standards for Global Control of Vascular Risk

One of the objectives of the Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis is to contribute to the knowledge, prevention and treatment of vascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Spain and entail a high degree of disability and health expenditure. Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease and its prevention requires a global approach that takes into account the associated risk factors. This document summarises the current evidence and includes recommendations for patients with established vascular disease or at high vascular risk: it reviews the symptoms and signs to evaluate, the laboratory and imaging procedures to request routinely or in special situations, and includes the estimation of vascular risk, diagnostic criteria for entities that are vascular risk factors, and general and specific recommendations for their treatment. Finally, it presents aspects that are not usually referenced in the literature, such as the organisation of a vascular risk consultation.

Update on new forms of tobacco use

Smoking remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Because of its clear influence on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, it is an important factor in internal medicine consultations. Although the rate of smoking cessation has been increasing in recent years, there is a percentage of patients who continue to smoke because they are unable or unwilling to quit, despite having tried existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. For this group of patients there are strategies based on interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of smoking without the need for complete cessation. In this review it is shown that due to the absence of combustion of organic matter in conventional cigarettes, snus, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products generate significantly lower levels of toxic substances.

[Ischaemic heart disease]

In the year 2011, cardiovascular diseases were responsible of 31.2% of total deaths in Spain. The absolute number of cases of acute coronary syndrome in this year will be approximately 115,752 cases (95%CI: 114,822-116,687). The prevalence of stable angina in the population aged 25-74 years is 2.6% in men and 3.5% in women. Cardiovascular diseases were in the year 2011 the first cause of hospitalizations representing 14.1% of the total hospitalizations. Diagnose of ischaemic heart disease and acute myocardial infarction were responsible of 110,950 and 50,064 hospitalizations, respectively. In the year 2003, the hospitalization rate was 314 while in the year 2011 was 237 per 100,000, a reduction of 24.4%. The average cost of hospitalization due to ischaemic heart disease in 1997 was 3,093.7euros while in the year 2011 was 7,028.71euros. Cardiovascular mortality rates have decreased from 2007 to 2011, showing a relative reduction of 7% in women and 8% in men. With regard to myocardial infarction, it was observed a relative reduction of 17% in men and 20% in women. According to EUROASPIREIII survey done in 8,966 patients with ischaemic heart disease in Europe, 17% of patients were still smokers, 35% were obese, 56% has uncontrolled blood pressure, 51% has raised blood cholesterol and 25% were diabetics. With regard to drugs utilisation, 91% were treated with antiplatelets agents, 80% with beta blockers, 71% with ACE inhibitors/ARBs.