Cardiovascular Risk estimates in ten years in the Brazilian population, a population-based study

Background

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, high health costs and significant economic losses. The Framingham score has been widely used to stratify the risk of the evaluated individuals, identifying those at higher risk for the implementation of prevention measures directed to this group.

Objective

Estimate the cardiovascular risk of developing cardiovascular event in 10 years, in the adult Brazilian population.

Methods

Cross-sectional study using laboratory data from da National Health Survey, 2014 and 2015, were used to calculate cardiovascular risk (CVR). Algorithms proposed by D`Agostino (2008) were used, based on the Framingham study, stratified by sex, was used. According to the guidelines of the Brazilian cardiology society, the following cutoff points for cardiovascular risk in 10 years were used: a) low CVR <5%, medium CVR (5 to < 20%) and high CVR (≥ 20%). The study estimated the general cardio vascular risk and the respective confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

Most women 58.4% had low cardiovascular risk, 32.9% medium risk and 8.7% high risk. Among men, 36.5% had low cardiovascular risk, 41.9% medium risk and 21.6% high risk. The risk increased with age. The difference in CVR according to years of schooling was about five times, between high schooling (12 years of schooling and more) and (<8 years of schooling) (3.2%: 95% CI 2.4 - 4.4 versus 15, 7%: 95% CI 13.5-18.3). Black women had a higher proportion in the highest risk group ( > = 20%), 14.4% (95% CI 9.7-20.9), than white women, 7.3 (95% CI 5.8 - 9.1). The poor self-rated health showed the greatest difference, the population that self-rated with very good health 2.9% (95% CI 1.3-3.6) and very poor health 25.6% (12.7-45, 0).

Conclusions

The risk score is useful to support the prevention practices of these diseases, considering the clinical and epidemiological context.

Key messages

This is the first national population-based study to estimate RCV for the Brazilian adult population using laboratory data, being useful to identify the priority population for public health. Population with less education has a higher risk cardiovascular, and should be a priority for prevention actions in public health.