The Chinese physicians' CardiovAscular Risk Evaluation (CARE) survey: an assessment of physicians' own cardiovascular risks.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)/coronary heart disease (CHD) in physicians using two models (the Chinese and Framingham models).


METHODS
This was a multicentre, cross-sectional survey, which recruited cardiovascular physicians from 386 medical centres in all 31 provinces and municipalities in China. Cardiovascular risk factors such as body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol were recorded during enrolment. Control rates (%) of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and diabetes were defined according to guidelines. Participants aged ≥35 years completed the Framingham model and participants aged ≤59 years completed the Chinese prediction model.


RESULTS
A total of 820 (41.5%) women and 1598 (78.7%) men had ≥1 markedly raised CVD risk factors. The Chinese prediction model showed that 22 (1.2%) women and 143 (7.6%) men had a 10-year risk of ischaemic CVD ≥5%, and an above-average level of 10-year ischaemic CVD risk factors was found in 20.6% of women and in 54.6% of men. When the Framingham model was used, 268 (13.6%) women and 724 (35.7%) men had a 10-year absolute risk of CHD ≥5%. Hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia were only controlled in 58.2%, 46.6% and 38.5% of participants, respectively. Only 30.3% of physicians with a 10-year risk of CHD ≥10% were using aspirin.


CONCLUSIONS
The results show suboptimal awareness in physicians of their own cardiovascular risks, and low use of prophylactic agents. Improvement of physicians' risk factors in will improve their ability to act as role models in the promotion of primary and secondary prevention initiatives.
The Heart Centre, Peking University's People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
D-Y
DY
Hu
Clinical Research Institute, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
J-M
JM
Yu
Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical College, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
F
F
Chen
The Heart Centre, Peking University's People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Y-H
YH
Sun
Clinical Research Institute, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Q-W
QW
Jiang