2
Key Points
Table 1. CVD Risk Factors Common in Patients With
Hypertension
Modifiable Risk Factors
a
Relatively Fixed Risk Factors
b
• Current cigarette smoking, secondhand
smoking
• Diabetes mellitus
• Dyslipidemia/hypercholesterolemia
• Overweight/obesity
• Physical inactivity/low fitness
• Unhealthy diet
• CKD
• Family history
• Increased age
• Low socioeconomic/educational status
• Male sex
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Psychosocial stress
a
Factors that can be changed and, if changed, may reduce CVD risk.
b
Factors that are difficult to change (CKD, low socioeconomic/educational status,
obstructive sleep apnea), cannot be changed (family history, increased age, male sex), or,
if changed through the use of current intervention techniques, may not reduce CVD risk
(psychosocial stress).
➤ Observational studies have demonstrated graded associations
between higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood
pressure (DBP) and increased CVD risk.
➤ A large meta-analysis found a 20 mm Hg higher SBP and 10 mm Hg
higher DBP were each prospectively associated with a doubling in the
risk of death from stroke, heart disease, or other vascular disease.
In a separate observational study including >1 million adult patients
≥30 years of age, higher SBP and DBP were associated with increased
risk of CVD incidence and angina, myocardial infarction (MI), heart
failure (HF), stroke, peripheral artery disease (PAD), abdominal aortic
aneurysm, and chronic renal disease (CKD).
➤ This increased risk has been reported across a broad age spectrum,
from 30 years to >80 years of age.
➤ CVD risk factors frequently occur in combination, with ≥3 risk factors
present in 17% of patients. Lifetime risk of CVD death, nonfatal MI,
and fatal or nonfatal stroke is substantially higher in adults with ≥2
CVD risk factors than in those with only 1 risk factor.
➤ Treating modifiable risk factors may reduce blood pressure (BP)
through modification of shared pathology, and CVD risk may be
reduced by treating global risk factor burden.
Diagnosis
