[Degree of understanding, treatment and control of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus in the general adult population].

OBJECTIVES: To calculate the prevalence of the main cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) after diagnostic confirmation using clinical criteria. To analyse the degree of understanding and monitoring of these factors and to evaluate the association of CVRF with each other, so estimating who is susceptible to intervention.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study.
SETTING: Population study conducted in Health Area 20 of the Community of Valencia (county of the Low Plain of the River Segura). PATIENTS: People who had lived in this Area for >=20 years. Proportional, multi-stage randomised sampling with definition of sample quotas according to type of residence. SAMPLE SIZE: 2550 people (no reply in first stage: 26%). The second stage involved the clinical confirmation of those identified as suffering from hypertension (HT) (374), hypercholesterolaemia (HCOL) (126), and diabetes (DM) (33). MEASUREMENTS: Patients identified were interviewed for taking blood pressure in the case of those with HT, and blood samples in the case of those with HCOL and DM. The diagnostic criteria recommended by the latest consensus were used.
RESULTS: 1886 people (78.1%) took part. Prevalences found: total HT 42+/-2.2%, diagnosed: 11.7+/-1.4; total HCOL 26.6+/-2%; total DM 9.5+/-1.3%. Tobacco dependency was 33.6+/-2.1% and Obesity: 31.6+/-2.1%. Degree of control: HT, 8.6%; HCOL, 21.7%; DM, 56.1%. Association of CVR factors with each other: 25.5% had neither HT nor HCOL and did not smoke.
CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence of CVRF in our area, compared with published national findings. Tobacco dependency is less common than at national level. The degree of control is very low and the association of the main CVRF factors for ischaemic cardiopathy reflect that nearly 75% of the population requires a preventive intervention.