Do our patients remember cardiovascular risk factors?

Czech version

Authors: E. Sovová ¹; J. Leisser ²; J. Ondrušková ¹; M. Kaletová ¹; I. Benušová ¹; P. Doupalová ¹
Authors‘ workplace: Lékařská fakulta Univerzity Palackého a Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc I. interní klinika Přednosta: prof. MUDr. Jan Lukl, CSc. ¹; Lázně Teplice s. r. o. ²
Published in: Prakt. Lék. 2010; 90(2): 90-92
Category: Of different specialties

Overview

Background:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Czech Republic as well as in Europe. Secondary prevention is very important for patient mortality and morbidity. Patients should be informed of the CVD risk factors (RF) (smoking, hypertension, lipid disorders, diabetes, obesity and low physical activity) and the recommended blood pressure levels, blood level of cholesterol, glycaemia, BMI, and exercise heart frequency when undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.

Methods:
169 patients (113 males) aged 62.7±9.1 hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction or coronary angioplasty filled out a questionnaire (knowledge of RF, knowledge of own values of risk factors) upon arrival at a spa for convalescence (average a month after hospitalization). 56 patients (44 males) had taken part in a hospital educational program (EDUC); the rest had only general information about RF (NEDUC). Statistical correlation (chi square, t-test).

Results:
There were no differences between EDUC and NEDUC in gender (p=0.765), age (p=0.798), place of residence (p=0.534), reason for hospitalization (p=0.078), smoking (1.8 % vs. 4.5 %, p=0.677), knowledge of recommended blood pressure values (39.3 % vs. 32.1 %, p=0.392), knowledge of recommended and own blood levels of cholesterol (19.6 % vs. 20.4 %, p= 0.914; 35.7 % vs. 28.6 %, p= 0.345), knowledge of recommended and own blood levels of LDL cholesterol (8.9 % vs. 6.3 %, p= 0.525; 10.7 % vs. 8.8 %, p=0.697), knowledge of own BMI values (16.1 % vs. 8.9 %, p= 0.168), knowledge of the border BMI values for obesity (8.9 % vs. 6.2 %, p=0.515), knowledge of border glycaemia values (37.5 % vs. 24.8 %, p= 0.086) and exercise heart frequency (3.6 % vs. 9.7%, p= 0.224). A significant difference was found in terms of knowledge of the values of their own blood pressure (91.1 % vs. 73.5 %, p= 0.08).

Conclusions:
Knowledge on the part of patients of RF CVD is poor in spite of educational programs. We are in need of a better system for educating patients with the implementation of various educational options and cooperation with patients’ families.

Key words:
cardiovascular risk factors, education, knowledge.

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