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Abstract

Introduction: Arterial hypertension (HTN) is the most prevalent chronic disease in Portugal, affecting 36% of adults aged 25 to 74. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) events, which remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 600 million people have hypertension, accounting for over 7 million deaths annually. We aimed to characterize hypertensive patients with non-fatal major cardiovascular events followed in a local primary care unit over 10 years, assessing SCORE/SCORE2/OP risk factors, comorbidities, medical history, and pre-event pharmacological treatment.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using electronic health records (MIM@UF, SClínico, and RSE), including patients with HTN and major CV events between 2014 and 2024. Pregnant women, patients under 18 years old, and non-hypertensive individuals were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS®.
Results: A total of 185 patients were included (67% male), with a mean age of 72.7 years. The most prevalent comorbidities were dyslipidemia (87.6%), obesity (39.9%), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (39.5%). Stroke was the most frequent event (42.7%), followed by ischemic heart disease with angina (26.5%). Only 15.1% of patients with dyslipidemia had LDL levels within the target, despite 82.7% being on statins. Regarding HTN, 18.9% were untreated and 51.4% were on ?2 antihypertensive drugs, yet many remained uncontrolled.
Conclusion: Significant gaps persist in the control of HTN and dyslipidemia. Systematic risk stratification and therapeutic education are essential to prevent CV event recurrence in this high-risk population.