Prevalence and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in outpatients with atherothrombosis in the Middle East.
OBJECTIVE
To characterise the risk-factor profile and treatment gaps among patients with, or at risk for, cardiovascular disease in the Middle East.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of a prospective observational study.


METHODS
International multicentre study (Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health).


METHODS
Stable outpatients with established cardiovascular disease or at least three risk factors for atherothrombosis. The present analysis was based on 840 patients from the Middle East.


METHODS
Observational study without a study-specific intervention.


METHODS
A treatment gap was defined as at least one of the following: current cigarette smoking, total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dl, serum glucose ≥126 mg/dl or blood pressure of ≥140/90.


RESULTS
The majority of Middle Eastern patients had hypertension (80.2%), more than half had a history of diabetes mellitus (52.3%), and a third had hypercholesterolaemia (34.1%). There was a high prevalence of obesity (38.6%), and nearly half the patients were former or current smokers (46%). β-Blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were the most commonly prescribed antihypertensives (61.1% and 57.5%, respectively). Antiplatelet therapy (most commonly aspirin) and lipid-lowering drugs (most commonly a statin) were used in most patients (90.7% and 85.2%, respectively). Three-quarters of the participants (75.6%) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with atherothrombosis in the Middle East have a high prevalence of risk factors including alarming rates of diabetes mellitus and obesity. At least one risk factor is uncontrolled in the majority of patients, presenting a pressing need for improving the care of such patients in the Middle East.
Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Alawi A
AA
Alsheikh-Ali
Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Wael A
WA
Al-Mahmeed
Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Avi
A
Porath
Division of Vascular Surgery & Wound Care Center, Department of Surgery, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Ismail
I
Khalil
Medical Affairs, Sanofi-aventis Gulf Office, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Hisham
H
Mahmoud
VA Boston Healthcare System and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Deepak L
DL
Bhatt
INSERM U-698, Université Paris 7 and AP-HP, Paris, France.
P Gabriel
PG
Steg
Cardiovascular disease; Middle East; diabetes; diabetes mellitus; obesity; risk factors