Background and objective: Various cardiovascular scoring systems estimating the risk in the Spanish population are currently used. The aim of our study was to create graphs and charts of populational percentiles to assess the total burden of risk of a population and to place each subject individually in the context of their own population setting by using cardiovascular risk charts.
Subjects and method: A cross-sectional study of 514 individuals of both sexes from a general population setting was carried out. Cardiovascular risk was calculated according to the SCORE project equations and charts and graphs of cardiovascular risk were formulated.
Results: In primary prevention, 17.11% of men and 22.36% of women aged 20-79 showed a high cardiovascular risk. The percentages vary from 0% in persons of both sexes aged 20-39 to 91.2% of men and 97.9% of women in their 70s. Risk medians range in men from 0.11% (age 20-39) to 8.86% (age 70-79) and in women from 0.02% (age 20-39) to 15.20% (age 70-79). Graphs of cardiovascular risk percentiles were formulated for both sexes; graphs can be used to situate each subject individually in the context of their own population setting and to project the risk to any age.
Conclusions: Nearly a fifth of the population has a high cardiovascular risk. More than 90% of men and women in their 70s have a high cardiovascular risk.