Integral prevention of cardiovascular risk consists of addressing the risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, smoking and obesity) together and integrating them globally to individualize medical treatment.
The leading cause of death and severe disability in Spain is cardiovascular disease in any of its forms: myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic renal failure or peripheral artery disease. The prevalence of all of these is increasing due to the progressive aging of the population. Thus, 40% of the population is hypertensive, 14% diabetic, 30% have high cholesterol levels.
How to control the risk factors?
The best way to avoid the development of vascular pathology consists of prevention and surveillance of risk factors, which must be done in a comprehensive manner and approached as a whole.
The advances in medical science are astounding in terms of the progressive control of risk factors, which is why we have an important arsenal of new drugs and devices to control the most aggressive forms of arterial hypertension by means of radiofrequency renal denervation, type 2 diabetes mellitus with continuous glucose monitoring and new antidiabetic drugs that do not induce hypoglycemia, LDL cholesterol apheresis, and the multidisciplinary approach to pathologies with a high psychogenic component (smoking and obesity). Genetic analysis has also been included in the medical consultation for cardiovascular risk prevention as a useful tool that provides valuable information.
Cardiovascular risk charts have been the best way to individualize treatment because they provide quantitative data that allow us to set specific objectives and prognosis.
Undoubtedly, scientific advances are allowing us to improve the quantity and quality of life of our patients and the global vision of cardiovascular risk factors is the optimal way to evaluate them.