Estimate the odds of experiencing a myocardial infarction or stroke? Now it is possible, also thanks to a calculation system based on an algorithm developed by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. This is what is reported in an article published by Aleati per la Salute (www.alleatiperlasalute.it), the portal dedicated to medical-scientific information created by Novartis, which dedicates an in-depth study to heart health risk factors, modifiable factors (on which one can intervene thanks to good behavior and prevention measures: arterial hypertension; smoking; diabetes; hyperlipidemia; obesity; physical sedentary lifestyle; diet / abuse of alcoholic beverages; oral contraceptives / hormonal therapies) and non-modifiable (sex , age, race and familiarity).
There are tools – reads the article – which allow you to calculate the risk for heart and arterial health by knowing the level of certain risk factors. A calculation system is available on the website of the Italian Society of Arterial Hypertension (Siia). The calculation is based on an algorithm studied by the ISS to estimate the probability of experiencing a first major cardiovascular event in the following 10 years, knowing the value of the following risk factors: weight, sex, age, diabetes, smoking habits, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, Hdl-cholesterolemia, anti-hypertensive treatment in progress The calculation must in any case be carried out by the doctor and is valid if the risk factors have been measured following the standardized method. It is indicated for women and men between the ages of 35 and 69 who have not had previous cardiovascular events. Those who have already had a heart attack or stroke have other calculation systems that are performed by the doctor.
This system – it is emphasized in the report – cannot be used in pregnant women and cannot be applied for extreme values of risk factors: systolic blood pressure higher than 200 mmHg or lower than 90 mmHg, total cholesterolemia higher than 320 mg / dl or lower than 130 mg / dl, HDL-cholesterol lower than 20 mg / dl or higher than 100 mg / dl. Furthermore, the values of the clinical tests of glycemia and cholesterolemia must have been performed no more than three months ago.
The ISS recommends evaluating cardiovascular risk through scoring with at least this frequency: every six months for those with a high cardiovascular risk (risk greater than or equal to 20%); every year if the risk is greater than or equal to 3% and less than 20%; every 5 years for people with low cardiovascular risk, i.e. with a value below 3%. In any case, regardless of the result, it is the doctor who has the tools to correctly interpret the data in the clinical context of each patient.
Among the modifiable risk factors, a particularly important role is played by hyperlipidemia, a condition that is revealed by the analysis of the lipid profile, in particular of cholesterol, a fatty substance present in all cells essential for the life of cell membranes, the synthesis of cortisol, development, reproduction and the digestive process.
The normal values of cholesterol in the blood (cholesterolemia) should be equal to 150-200 mg / dl, but they are values that in turn depend on other factors which, for a correct interpretation, must be taken into consideration by the doctor, since they are ongoing studies and updates. Generally, the increase in cholesterol is associated with an increase in the value of triglycerides, the form of storage of fats and sugars consumed in excess used as an energy supply. The complete article is available on: https://www.alleatiperlasalute.it/alla-scoperta-di/calcola-il-rischio-cardiovascolare