title: Patients with cardiac disease: Changes observed through last decade in out-patient clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe current profile of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and assessing changes through last decade.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of patients with established CVD from two similar cross-sectional registries performed in 1999 (n = 6194) and 2009 (n = 4639). The types of CVD were coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients were collected from outpatient clinics. Investigators were 80% cardiologist and 20% primary care practitioners. Clinical antecedents, major diagnosis, blood test results and medical treatments were collected from all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase in all risk factors, except for smoking, was observed; a 54.4% relative increase in BP control was noted. CHD was the most prevalent CVD but HF and AF increased significantly, 41.5% and 33.7%, respectively. A significant reduction in serum lipid levels was observed. The use of statins increased by 141.1% as did all cardiovascular treatments. Moreover, the use of angiotensin-renin system inhibitors in patients with HF, beta-blockers in CHD patients or oral anticoagulants in AF patients increased by 83.0%, 80.3% and 156.0%, respectively (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of all cardiovascular risk factors has increased in patients with CVD through last decade. HF and AF have experienced the largest increases.
authors.affiliation: Alberto Cordero, Vicente Bertomeu-Martínez, Pilar Mazón, Vicente Bertomeu-González, Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario de San Juan, 03550 Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bertomeu-Martínez
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mazón
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fácila
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cosín
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bertomeu-González
authors.forename: Moisés
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andrés
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galve
authors.forename: Iñaki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lekuona
authors.forename: Jose R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: González-Juanatey
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary heart disease; Heart failure; Trends