Time trends in three triennial surveys of cardiovascular risk factors and their treatment among patients discharged from divisions of internal medicine The FAPOI-1, FADOI-2, and FADOI-3 studies.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in monitoring cardiovascular risk factor levels and their treatment. We decided to study this in patients discharged from Divisions of Internal Medicine. METHODS: In three studies conducted in 1996, 1999, and 2002, data was collected on diagnoses of cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular risk factor levels and treatment in 5904, 7476, and 9649 patients, respectively, aged 35 years or older, who were discharged within a week from 235, 345, and 517 Divisions of Internal Medicine in Italy. RESULTS: Between the first and third surveys, a relative decrease in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases was recorded, but heart failure showed a definite increase, reaching 11% of all cases. Mean levels of most cardiovascular risk factors decreased significant; only obesity did not. The proportion of treated hypertensives increased slightly (from 65% to 83% among men, and from 69% to 85% among women). The proportion of controlled hypertensives also rose, reaching around 37%. The proportion of treated dyslipidemics increased from 10% to 28% in men and from 12% to 25% in women, due to an increase in the use of statins. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential to focus attention on cardiovascular risk factors in order to optimize their treatment and to reduce cardiovascular disease.