Coronary heart disease risk: the results of population screening by the Central Region Branch of the Portuguese Heart Foundation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the ten-year risk of coronary heart disease according to the 1998 Task Force Report.


METHODS
1013 adults, aged between 30 and 79 years, were studied by trained paramedics, using a pre-determined routine technique. Prevalences: occasional capillary glycemia > 126 mg/dl in 11.2%, occasional capillary hypercholesterolemia > 190 mg/dl in 46.7%, arterial systolic hypertension in 37.3% and smoking habit in 18.2%. About 27.5% of the total were taking cardiovascular medication. There was a high or very high risk for coronary heart disease in 6.8% of the population, male 10.4% and female 3.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that the prevalence of high and very high risk for coronary heart disease is about 6.8%, being higher in men. Risk increases with age, the most prevalent being moderate risk, once again affecting mostly males.
Santiago
Luiz Miguel
LM
Delegação Centro da Fundação Portuguesa de Cardiologia, Coimbra. lmsantiago@netcabo.pt
Serra e Silva
Polybio
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors