Cardiovascular Risk Profile and Lifestyle Habits in a Cohort of Italian Cardiologists. Results of the SOCRATES Survey

Submitted: November 25, 2015
Accepted: November 25, 2015
Published: November 25, 2015
Abstract Views: 1083
PDF: 635
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Objectives. To offer a snapshot of the personal health habits of Italian cardiologists, the Survey on Cardiac Risk Profile and Lifestyle Habits in a Cohort of Italian Cardiologists (SOCRATES) study was undertaken. Background. Cardiologists’ cardiovascular profile and lifestyle habits are poorly known worldwide. Methods. A Web-based electronic self-reported survey, accessible through a dedicated website, was used for data entry, and data were transferred via the web to a central database. The survey was divided in 4 sections: baseline characteristics, medical illnesses and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle habits and selected medication use. The e-mail databases of three national scientific societies were used to survey a large and representative sample of Italian cardiologists. Results. During the 3-month period of the survey, 1770 out of the 5240 cardiologists contacted (33.7%) completed and returned one or more sections of the questionnaire. More than 49% of the participants had 1 out of 5 classical risk factors (e.g. hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, active smoking, diabetes and previous vascular events). More than 28% of respondents had 2 to 5 risk factors and only 22.1% had none and therefore, according to age and sex, could be considered at low-intermediate risk. Despite the reported risk factors, more than 90% of cardiologists had a self-reported risk perception quantified as mild, such as low or intermediate. Furthermore, overweight/obesity, physical inactivity and stress at work or at home were commonly reported, as well as a limited use of cardiovascular drugs, such as statins or aspirin. Conclusions. The average cardiovascular profile of Italian cardiologist is unlikely to be considered ideal or even favorable according to recent statements and guidelines regarding cardiovascular risk. Thus, there is a large room for improvement and a need for education and intervention.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

How to Cite

Faggiano, Pompilio, Pier Luigi Temporelli, Giovanni Zito, Francesco Bovenzi, Furio Colivicchi, Francesco Fattirolli, Cesare Greco, Gianfrancesco Mureddu, Carmine Riccio, Marino Scherillo, Massimo Uguccioni, and Giacomo Faden. 2015. “Cardiovascular Risk Profile and Lifestyle Habits in a Cohort of Italian Cardiologists. Results of the SOCRATES Survey”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 80 (3). https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2013.73.