Findings from a study this year showed a significant increase in the risk of a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke and death) when atherosclerosis is present in vascular systems other than the heart, such as in the carotid arteries in the neck and the peripheral arteries in the legs.
The REACH (Resource Utilization Among Congestive Heart failure patients) study examined many features of atherosclerotic disease in nearly 70,000 patients 45 years of age or older in 44 developed countries around the world.
Here are other interesting findings from the study about the types of cardiovascular disease that exist around the world:
- 59 percent of the study participants had coronary artery disease
- 28 percent had cerebrovascular disease
- 12 percent had peripheral artery disease
- 16 percent had symptomatic disease affecting more than one site
Risk factor profiles were similar for patients throughout the world:
- 82 percent had high blood pressure
- 72 percent had high cholesterol levels
- 44 percent had diabetes
- 40 percent were overweight, 27 percent were obese, and 3.6 percent were morbidly obese
- In North America, 37 percent were obese and 5.8 percent were morbidly obese, much higher proportions than in other regions of the world. Morbid obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater.
The study also found that patients were generally undertreated with statins and antiplatelet agents like aspirin. For example, 76 percent of patients with coronary disease, but only 56 percent of those with cerebrovascular disease, were treated with a statin.
High blood pressure was undertreated in half of participants. Among those not known to have diabetes, 5 percent had undiagnosed diabetes and 37 percent had pre-diabetes.
These results show that the heart is affected by symptomatic atherosclerotic disease about two times more often than the brain and five times more often than the peripheral arteries.
More than one site is affected, however, in many patients. The study also emphasizes that known risk factors are often not treated even though studies have demonstrated overwhelmingly the benefits of lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
