title: Perception of health and understanding of cardiovascular risk among patients with recently diagnosed diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular (CV) disease mortality is increased in diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MS), conditions which share CV risk factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess understanding of CV risk by patients with DM and/or MS diagnosed less than 1 year before and seen in primary care. Perception by these patients of their health state is also analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre, observational study in subjects diagnosed with DM diagnosed less than 1 year before and/or with MS, in whom agreement between CV risk perceived by patients and assessed by physicians was analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical registry data and a survey of health status and perceived risk by patients and physicians. Agreement of patient perception of CV risk with perception of the physician in charge and with the CV risk established with clinical registry data was assessed. Self-perceived health status was also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 150 physicians recruited 681 patients (71.5% with DM and 28.5% with MS) aged 60.8 ± 10.8 years (55.8% males). Good or excellent health were reported by 41.3% and 0.9%, respectively. Inability to give an estimate of CV risk was found in 39.8%. Agreement between the CV risks perceived by patients and evaluated by chart was poor: kappa index 0.145 (95% CI 0.101-0.189), p < 0.001. Agreement between CV risk perceived by patients and clinical data in the medical registry was weak: kappa index 0.165 (95% CI 0.117-0.213), p < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with recently diagnosed DM and/or with MS have a poor awareness of their CV risk and 42.2% of them think that they have good or excellent health.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. nmartell.hcsc@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martell-Claros
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aranda
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: González-Albarrán
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalfó-Baqué
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Sardiña
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: de la Cruz
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Álvaro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors