Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in patients with systemic arterial hypertension

Abstract

Objective: to identify the modifiable risk factors of patients with systemic arterial hypertension and to relate them to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: cross-sectional and correlational study carried out in patients with systemic arterial hypertension. The risk factors analyzed were obesity, excessive salt consumption, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, smoking, stress and sleep apnea. Obesity was analyzed by body mass index and measurement of waist circumference, salt consumption and physical inactivity by patients' reports, disorders related to alcohol consumption by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, smoking by patients' reports and Fagerström Questionnaire, stress by the Perceived Stress Scale and sleep apnea by the Berlin Questionnaire. The sociodemographic and clinical variables analyzed were age, sex, race, education, marital status, family income, housing, number of children and cohabitants and professional occupation. Results: 106 patients were evaluated; 85 were obese, 73 were sedentary, 71 were at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea and 25 were using alcohol. The average score of disorders due to alcohol was 0.83 ± 2.8 points, salt consumption was 3.95 grams, stress was 14.2 ± 7.6 points and nicotine dependence was 3.00 ± 1.7 points. Obesity, physical inactivity, use of alcohol, salt consumption and stress were related to some sociodemographic variables. Conclusion: preventive actions should be taken to change the lifestyle of these patients and, consequently, reduction of complications and other cardiovascular diseases.