Estratificação do risco cardiovascular global em hipertensos

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular risk refers to the probability of cardiovascular events occurring in a given period, resulting from the interaction between clinical, metabolic, and behavioral factors. Furthermore, systemic arterial hypertension constitutes the main modifiable risk factor, with a strong association with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Therefore, cardiovascular risk stratification integrates these factors and supports clinical decision-making. Thus, it is an essential tool for planning preventive and therapeutic actions in the management of cardiovascular diseases. Objective: To evaluate the overall cardiovascular risk in hypertensive individuals and to characterize the study population regarding sociodemographic, economic, and clinical variables. Methodology: This is a descriptive, exploratory, and cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, conducted with 247 participants treated at the Amélio Marques outpatient clinic of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlândia. Individuals aged 18 years or older, diagnosed with systemic arterial hypertension and under drug treatment for at least 6 months, were included. Data collection was carried out using an instrument developed by the researchers, which includes sociodemographic, economic, clinical variables, lifestyle habits, medications in use, and laboratory tests. Cardiovascular risk stratification was performed using the Brazilian Society of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk Stratification Calculator. Results: The assessment of overall cardiovascular risk showed that most hypertensive individuals were classified as having high (50.6%) and very high (39.3%) cardiovascular risk. This result is related to the sociodemographic and clinical profile identified in the sample, predominantly composed of women (53.8%), with an average age of 65 years, low education level, expressed by an average of 6.60 years of schooling, and a predominance of two residents in the same household (42.5%). A high prevalence of modifiable risk factors was observed, such as sedentary lifestyle (61.9%), overweight (35.62%), and increased abdominal (89.9%) and hip (94.3%) circumferences, in addition to frequent comorbidities, especially dyslipidemia (68.4%) and acute myocardial infarction (58.7%). There was also widespread use of cardiovascular medications, mainly statins (74.1%), beta-blockers (71.6%), diuretics (64.0%), and angiotensin II receptor antagonists (50.2%), reinforcing the high cardiovascular risk profile of the studied population. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the population presents a complex clinical profile and high cardiovascular risk, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring and a multidisciplinary approach. The role of the nurse in health education, therapeutic adherence, risk stratification, and monitoring of modifiable factors is emphasized. Educational strategies, early screening, and targeted interventions are essential to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and improve quality of life.