[What can we do to modify coronary risk factors?].

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the adult population of developed and developing countries. In both Spain and in Chile, the figures relating to mortality have remained unchanged over the recent years, though they still remain the leading cause of death.1,2 Coronary disease accounts for 8% of all deaths in the Chilean population and for 11% in the Spanish population.1,2 Moreover, the so-called coronary risk factors are known to be present in a similar proportion in cerebrovascular disease, which constitutes the other major cause of death in adults, according to the results of the international registry of atherothrombosis REACH.3 Additionally, the development of atherosclerosis has been shown to start at an early age in life, even though the clinical manifestations are not seen until later. These facts have led to a permanent interest in determining the prevalence of coronary risk factors from various epidemiological studies and in different populations,4-6 since their possible modification might lower the related death and disease. A study carried out in the VII Region of Chile among university students from differing social and economic backgrounds showed that the prevalence of these risk factors is already high early on in life.7 This study used very strict classification criteria for the risk factors, in accordance with the recommendations of the International Society of Hypertension and the latest report from the United States National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). As well as the traditional risk factors, the authors also included a survey on sedentary lifestyle and an evaluation of overweight and obesity. They found a prevalence of smoking of 39.8%, a figure very similar to the 43.6% reported by Baena et al4 in a young population in a cross-sectional study of primary care patients in Barcelona.4 However, the prevalence of hypertension in the Chilean students was 18%, in contrast to the 2.6% What Can We Do to Modify Coronary Risk Factors?