Comparison of selected cardiovascular risk factors in women and men over 75 years of age with hypertension

Abstract

Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in Poland, representing approximately 46% of all deaths in the population. As a result of demographic changes related to the aging population, cardiovascular mortality is a significant, growing problem of universal health care. According to current data CVD pose a greater threat to the lives of men. The mortality rate for men in Poland is higher than the average in the EU countries in all age groups. In view of these data it seems reasonable to be searching for these parameters of cardiovascular risk, which significantly differ women than men. Since 2003 Guidelines of ESH/ESC and PTNT suggest measuring carotid IMT as an indicator of organ damage in the course of hypertension, included in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk. The aim of the study was to compare some factors of cardiovascular risk in patients over 75 years of age with hypertension and comparison of selected risk factors for cardio-vascular event in people over 75 years of age, suffering from hypertension with IMT ≤ 0.9 mm compared with patients with IMT > 0.9 mm.

Material and methods The study was conducted in the adult population, patients of one of the local non-public primary health care. The study enrolled patients with diagnosed and treated hypertension, over 75 years of age. For analysis included 119 patients.

Conclusions The evaluation of selected parameters of cardiovascular

risk demonstrated significant differences for sex, in terms of kidney, lipid, inflammatory parameters and thickness of intima and media. Patients with IMT ≤ 0.9 mm were younger, had lower parameters of left ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiography, lower systolic blood pressure and lower pulse pressure. In the study, we observed a positive correlation between IMT and age of the respondents and indicated a significant association with IMT and myocardial hypertrophy. The results speak for usability evaluation of IMT in the estimation of global cardiovascular risk in the elderly, with little appreciation of the usefulness of cardiovascular risk in this group of patients.