Association between perceived lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease and calculated risk in a male population in Brazil

AIM: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality across the world. Despite health campaigns to improve awareness of cardiovascular risk factors, there has been little improvement in cardiovascular mortality. In this study, we sought to examine the association between cardiovascular risk factors and people’s perception on cardiovascular risk. METHODS: This was an epidemiological, cross-sectional, descriptive, prospective study of Masonic men aged >40 years in Boa Vista, Brazil. Participants completed a health survey, which included three questions about perception of their stress level, overall health status, and risk of a heart attack. In addition, demographic and biological data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 101 Masonic men took part in the study; their mean age (± standard deviation) was 55.35±9.17 years and mean body mass index was 28.77±4.51 kg/m(2). Answers to the lifestyle questionnaire suggested an overall healthy lifestyle, including good diet and moderate exercise, although despite this ~80% were classified as overweight or obese. The majority of participants felt that they had a low stress level (66.3%), good overall general health (63.4%), and were at low risk of having a heart attack (71.3%). Masons who were overweight were significantly more likely to perceive themselves to be at risk of a heart attack (P=0.025). CONCLUSION: Despite over half of participants having a moderate to high risk of cardiovascular disease according to traditional risk factors, less than a third perceived themselves to be at high risk. Public health campaigns need to better communicate the significance of traditional cardiovascular risk in order to improve awareness of risk among the general population.