Statement of the Spanish Interdisciplinary Vascular Prevention Committee on the updated European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Abstract

We present the Spanish adaptation of the 2021 European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice. The current guidelines besides the individual approach greatly emphasize on the importance of population level approaches to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Systematic global cardiovascular disease risk assessment is recommended in individuals with any major vascular risk factor. Regarding LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, and glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus, goals and targets remain as recommended in previous guidelines. However, it is proposed a new, stepwise approach (steps 1 and 2) to treatment intensification as a tool to help physicians and patients pursue these targets in a way that fits patient profile. After step 1, considering proceeding to the intensified goals of step 2 is mandatory, and this intensification will be based on 10-year cardiovascular disease risk, lifetime cardiovascular disease risk and treatment benefit, comorbidities and patient preferences. The updated SCORE algorithm ?SCORE2, SCORE2-OP? is recommended in these guidelines, which estimates an individual's 10-year risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease events (myocardial infarction, stroke) in healthy men and women aged 40-89 years. Another new and important recommendation is the use of different categories of risk according to different age groups (<50, 50-69, ≥70 years). Different flow charts of cardiovascular disease risk and risk factor treatment in apparently healthy persons, in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and in diabetic patients are recommended. Patients with chronic kidney disease are considered high risk or very high-risk patients according to the levels of glomerular filtration rate and albumin-to-creatinine ratio. New lifestyle recommendations adapted to the ones published by the Spanish Ministry of Health as well as recommendations focused on the management of lipids, blood pressure, diabetes and chronic renal failure are included.

Keywords: Arterial hypertension; Cardiovascular risk; Clinical Practice Guidelines; Control de lípidos; Diabetes; Dieta saludable; Enfermedades vasculares; Guías de Práctica Clínica; Healthy diet; Hipertensión arterial; Lipid control; Prevención y control; Prevention and control; Riesgo cardiovascular; Smoking; Tabaco; Vascular diseases.