Cor Vasa 2009, 51(2):123-127 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2009.030

Preventive cardiology 1995-2005. Its achievements and disappointments (EUROASPIRE I, II, III)

Jaroslav Šimon^*, Hana Rosolová, Otto Mayer jr.

Centrum preventivní kardiologie II. interní kliniky, Univerzita Karlova Praha - Lékařská fakulta a Fakultní nemocnice v Plzni, Plzeň, Česká republika

The ultimate goal of treatment of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) is to reduce the risk of another cardiovascular event, prevent complications of the disease, extend life, and improve its quality.
EUROASPIRE I (European Action on Secondary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events) was conducted in nine European countries in 1995-1996, with 15 European nations participating in EUROASPIRE II. Both surveys showed that the potential for secondary prevention in patients surviving a coronary event was largely underused. The two surveys were followed, in 2006-2007, by EUROASPIRE III carried out in as many as 22 European countries to map the current status of secondary preventive intervention and to determine any changes in the level of intervention in the original nine countries participating in the previous two surveys.
The surveys were conducted in identical geographic regions, i.e., in the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain. Those enrolled into the study included consecutive patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), myocardial infarction (IM) or those experiencing an ischemic acute coronary event. The surveys included follow-up of risk factors and drug therapy, initially after six months, and at a longer interval since the event thereafter.
The surveys were conducted in the same locations and hospitals providing specialist care in cardiology to regions with a population of at least 500,000. Survey participants included males and females below 70 years of age.

Results: The numbers of patients examined in the Czech Republic were 331 in the first survey (total 3,180 in Europe), 410 in the second survey (2,970 across Europe), and 405 individuals in the third survey (2,392 in Europe). The numbers of those enrolled in individual categories changed completely in EUROASPIRE III. The number of CABG procedures almost doubled, becoming higher than the proportion of procedures throughout Europe. The number of PTCAs likewise doubled in the Czech Republic reaching the same proportion as elsewhere in Europe. The prevalence of smoking remained virtually unaltered, being some 20%. Overweight was found in approximately 80-90% of survey participants, with about one in four up to one in three being obese (BMI>30 kg/m2). Blood pressure over the target levels was present in one half to two thirds of subjects, with virtually no change seen over the 10-year period. The prevalence of increased serum cholesterol declined significantly. While almost 50% of those in EUROASPIRE III had serum cholesterol levels

Keywords: EUROASPIRE; Secondary prevention; Coronary risk factors

Published: February 1, 2009  Show citation