Cardiometabolic high risk patients with abdominal obesity. Frequency and risk factor profile in primary care

OBJECTIVE: A large abdominal girth is a measure for abdominal obesity that is associated with many cardiometabolic risk factors and ultimately with an unfavourable prognosis. In this context, the objective of this survey was, to document the frequency of concomitant cardiometabolic risk factors such as diabetes and dyslipidaemia in primary care, to quantify the cross-section of all three risk factors and to investigate the medical care situation of the patients. METHODS: For the survey, an open surveillance study design was chosen. Privately practicing physicians of different specializations documented the comorbidities and the medications taken in patients with abdominal obesity (based on waist circumference [men > or = 102, women > or = 88 cm]). The data were evaluated qualitatively and assessed exploratively. RESULTS: A total of 3,945 participating doctors documented 53,147 patients with large abdominal girth. In 71% of the cases, these patients also had type 2 diabetes mellitus. In 76% of the cases, the patients had dyslipidaemia and in 35% of the cases, all three risk factors occurred concomitantly. Taking multiple medications such as antihypertensives, antidiabetic and lipid-lowering agents and thrombocyte aggregation inhibitors, was common. However, the target values, for example, for blood sugar (HbA1c < 6.5 or < 7.0%) frequently could not be achieved with the conventional strategies. CONCLUSION: Abdominal obesity (based on abdominal girth) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It often occurs together with type 2 diabetes mellitus, (atherogenic) dyslipidaemia and arterial hypertension. Available therapeutic strategies are not always sufficient for achieving the recommended metabolic values.