Minimal metabolic data set for patients at high vascular risk.

Vascular events still represent the leading cause of death in the western world. The pathogenesis of atherothrombotic events is multifactorial. Epidemiological studies indicate that the presence of several concomitant risk factors, especially in the metabolic syndrome, markedly exacerbates the vascular risk. In the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, a multi-dimensional risk factor approach is therefore required to reduce the "vascular burden". Consequently it is absolutely necessary to identify and to subsequently monitor these factors during intervention/therapy. The present MMDS represents a tool for the daily clinical routine to assess and document important cardiovascular risk factors. This data set is the result of a consensus of the two German working groups of the German Cardiology Society and the German Diabetes Society. The identification and detection of all relevant vascular risk factors should result in improved patient care and a more comprehensive documentation of cardiovascular risk factors in clinical studies.