Can individuals with a significant risk for cardiovascular disease be adequately identified by combination of several risk factors? Modelling study based on the Norwegian HUNT 2 population

摘要

Rationale, aims and objectivesClinicians are generally advised to consider several risk factors when evaluating patients' cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Our aim was to study whether combined assessment of five traditional risk factors might help doctors demarcate a relatively distinct and manageable group of high-risk individuals. We selected five modifiable risk factors and estimated the proportion of a well-defined population with ‘unfavourable’ levels of at least two of them, as defined by four internationally renowned guidelines. The impact of including so-called ‘prehypertension’ among the risk factors was specifically addressed, and the results are discussed in a wider perspective.