Management of cardiovascular risk factors for primary prevention: evaluation of Turkey results of the EURIKA study

OBJECTIVES
The EURIKA study (The European Study on Cardiovascular Risk Prevention and Management in Daily Practice), which covers 12 European countries including our country, aimed to describe the management of cardiovascular risk factors in the daily practice and to detect areas of improvement. We evaluated our country-based data on the methods used by physicians to manage cardiovascular risk factors and the results of patients who participated in this study.

STUDY DESIGN
The EURIKA study recruited 663 patients (mean age 59.4±7.6 years; 47.2% males) and 67 physicians (55 men, 12 women; mean age 40.7±8.6 years) from Turkey. Risk factor definition and treatment goals were based on the 2007 European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention. Blood samples were analyzed in a central laboratory. The 10-year risk for fatal cardiovascular disease was estimated based on the SCORE system.

RESULTS
About one-third (34.8%) of the doctors did not use any cardiovascular disease guidelines. Only 48.5% used cardiovascular risk calculation. The most common (74%) reason for not using risk calculation was stated as having limited time. The rates of reaching target total/LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and HbA1c levels were 30.4%, 32.1%, and 26% in treated dyslipidemics, hypertensives, and diabetics, respectively. Hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking accounted for 59.4% of attributable cardiovascular risk. Lack of control of these risk factors accounted for 31.8% of cardiovascular risk.

CONCLUSION
Only half of our doctors use cardiovascular risk calculation, and therapeutic guidelines are not adequately used. Moreover, the control rates of risk factors in primary prevention are low.