Conocimiento y riesgo cardiovascular en pacientes en tratamiento con medicamentos cardiovasculares

In pharmacy environments it is increasingly necessary to develop strategies to assess and improvepatient’s knowledge about cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to investigate therelationship between knowledge and CVD risk. A 10 question interviewer-controlled cross sectionalsurvey was carried out over a period of 15 days, about the knowledge and the CVD risk, in patientsattending 6 community pharmacies in Granada, Sevilla, and Malaga (Andalucia-Spain). In the statisticalanalyses, the Chi square test was used to compare proportions, and T Student test to compare means.A total of 257 patients took part in the survey; age (years): 60.9 + 10.8, sex (male): 35.8%, currentsmokers: 13.2%, a personal history of hypertension (79.0%), high cholesterol levels (42.4%), type 2 diabetes (19.5%), and CVD (22.6%). CVD risk was: Low 35.8%, mild - moderate: 21.0%, and high:43.2%. The degree of knowledge was 5.8 + 1.8 (CI95%:5.6-6.1), and was assessed as being adequatein 60.7%; (CI95%:54.7-66.7%). Age (younger patients), a high level of education, and the regularpractice of physical exercise, together with a positive patient perception of normality or control ofcardiovascular risk factors, were associated with better or higher knowledge of cardiovascular risk.However, no significant differences in patient’s knowledge was found among patients presenting differentdegrees of total CVD risk (p>0.05). Adequate patient’s knowledge about CVD risk is associated withyounger age, a high educational level, exercise practice, and perceptions of normality or control ofcardiovascular risk factors, but it is not related to the total CVD risk.