Cardiovascular risk tests performed last Wednesday to 6,000 Madrid health centers.

-more than a thousand nurses to inform users of 40 to 65 years on prevention against myocardial infarction and stroke

-the community has a mortality rate of cardiovascular disease, below the national average

-the reduction of these pathologies has achieved the life expectancy in Madrid to exceed the 83 years

Madrid, 2012-March the director-general of health primary care of the service Madrid, Antonio Alemany, accompanied by the President of the society of nursing Madrileña primary care (SEMAP), Carmen Solano, participated last Wednesday in the center of health Vicente Muzas, Madrid, in the campaign of awareness and prevention of cardiovascular risk, that groups diseases such as myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke or heart disease.

Coinciding with the celebration of the European day of the Cardiovascular risk and for the third consecutive year, more than 1,000 nurses of 200 health centres in the network of primary care of the community of Madrid tested on cardiovascular risk to about 6,000 inhabitants, through the installation of informative tables and the active recruitment of users who come to the centres.

Alemany reported that the Madrid maintains a mortality rate of cardiovascular disease of 172 deaths per 100,000 population, rate returns to descend, and remains below the national average of 219 deaths. The reduction of mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system is the main cause of the increase in life expectancy in the Madrid population in recent years, stood at 83.4 years, while the average in Spain is of 81,8. In this way, Madrid has managed to have one of the highest hopes of life from around the world to overcome the life expectancy in Japan in 1.4 years.

Measure the risk

During this day, nurses in health centres carried out various tests to determine the risk that has a user of cardiovascular disease over the next 5-10 years, applying a table of specific measurement (SCORE). In addition, distributed informational materials which has reissued the Ministry of health: 50,000 booklets on cardiovascular care, 25,000 leaflets, and 1,000 posters with the five basic tips of comprehensive cardiovascular prevention, reporting, in addition, the role of nurses in the care of these pathologies.

The campaign has been promoted and coordinated by the Bureau of health promotion and prevention, which promotes the Cardiovascular Health of the Madrid Plan, and by the network of nursing in cardiovascular care for primary care (REccAP), a work group belonging to the SEMAP.

Descends the mortality

For years, the community of Madrid maintains a downward mortality rate for cardiovascular diseases, representing the second cause of death among men, and the first among women. Approximately, each year about 12,000 people are hospitalized for these diseases.

These diseases are the third leading cause of disease burden (behind neuropsychiatric diseases and tumors), with an important component of disability highlighting produced by cerebrovascular diseases in the middle of life ages.

The director-general of primary care recalled the importance of adopting preventive measures against these diseases. He said that stop smoking, reduce the consumption of alcohol, follow a balanced diet, with preponderance of vegetables, legumes, fruit, fish and olive oil, as well as the practice of physical activity – half an hour walking at a brisk pace is enough – constitute the best way of warding off the risk factors for cardiovascular disease ”.

Prevention and health centres

Health centers incorporated in 2008 five specific initiatives to intervene in risk factors for cardiovascular disease, one of them addressed to children – care for children with obesity – and the rest of adult population: promotion of healthy lifestyles in the adult, assessment of global cardiovascular risk, patients with ischemic heart disease and patients with heart failure.

In particular, the programme of assessment of cardiovascular risk in the adult is aimed at people between 40 and 65 years and study personally how risk factors of cardiovascular disease (obesity, smoking, hypertension, Dyslipidemia or diabetes) can become a potential risk to life, after the evaluation of much of these factorsthrough a few specific tables called SCORE. The assessment of global cardiovascular risk allows better establish preventive measures, depending on if the cardiovascular risk is low, medium or high. Approximately 126,000 people are included in this program, 22,000 more than the previous year.