Volume : 6, Issue : 7, July - 2017

A STUDY ON AWARENESS OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK DETERMINANTS IN PATIENT�S ATTENDER PRESENTING FOR ECHO CARDIOGRAPHY

A. Cardliya Jones, N. Junior Sundresh

Abstract :

<p>&nbsp;<span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Introduction: Adequate awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and their risk factors may help reduce the population&rsquo;s exposure to modifiable risk factors and thereby contribute to prevention and control strategies.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;&#10;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;&#10;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Aim: To access the awareness of cardiovascular risk determinants in patient&rsquo;s attender presenting for echo cardiography. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;&#10;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;&#10;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Methods: This observational study was done in attender presenting with patient at the time cardio echography. Data was collected by interviewing the patient attender by using pre tested semi-structured questionnaire.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;&#10;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;&#10;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Results: 48% of participants were able to acquire a score of 20 and above from a total of 25, where as 52% of participants scored below 20. Overweight was considered as a major risk factor (68%) for heart disease by the participants followed by high cholesterol level (76%) ,High blood pressure level (72%) and Smoking (92%).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;&#10;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;&#10;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Conclusion: We have found sub-optimal levels of knowledge regarding cardiovascular disease risk factors.&nbsp; Community education on CVDs, targeting especially populations with low socio-economic status, may be beneficial in the combined efforts to achieve the reductions in heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases<o:p></o:p></span></p>