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Cardiovascular risk factors among internal medicine residents.
Prev Cardiol. 2008;11(2):76-81
Authors: Mihalopoulos NL, Berenson GS
Modification of risk factors can reduce the number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Internal medicine (IM) residents devote significant clinical time to help patients modify CVD risk factors but may fail to recognize the presence of such factors in their own lives. The prevalence of major modifiable risk factors was assessed in IM residents. Of 101 eligible residents, 56 completed at least 1 component of the study. None had symptoms or history of CVD, and 11 (20%) had > or = 2 CVD risk factors. Of 39 subjects who had physical assessment, 3 had systolic hypertension and 13 had a body mass index > or = 25. Of 38 patients with fasting lipid measurements, 13 had total cholesterol >200 mg/dL; 28 had low-density lipoprotein > or = 100 mg/dL, with 7 >160 mg/dL; and 7 had high-density lipoprotein <40 mg/dL. Three residents smoked 10 cigarettes per day and 15 were sedentary. Training in IM should include strategies to increase awareness of modifiable personal risk factors for CVD, as well as strategies to reduce or eliminate them.
PMID: 18401234 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]