[Global cardiovascular risk in health care: what else shall patients and doctors talk about?].
Isolated risk factors are now regarded as less important in cardiovascular prevention than global absolute risk, which has been widely debated among clinical epidemiologists. However, the implications for the primary care consultation are less clear. Treating isolated risk factors such as high blood pressure is a complex procedure serving multiple purposes including emotional reassurance. Given recent study results, a change to polypill-like interventions seems likely. These require much less frequent measurements and adjustments and will therefore provide fewer opportunities for interaction between clinicians and patients. How primary care will respond to this paradigm shift is not clear.
Donner-Banzhoff
Norbert
N
Abteilung für Allgemeinmedizin, Präventive und Rehabilitative Medizin, Philipps-Universität Marburg. Norbert@med.uni-marburg.de
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012307:Risk Factors