Association between cardiovascular risk factors and measurements of blood pressure and cholesterol in 27 European countries in 2009.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether having multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease is associated with having had a cholesterol and blood pressure measurement in the past year.

METHODS
Cross-sectional data from the 2009 Eurobarometer survey (wave 72.3), were analysed. Self-reported data on smoking, fruit consumption, alcohol consumption and physical activity were collected from 15,287 individuals aged between 40 and 75years from 27 European counties.

RESULTS
Having had a cholesterol test was inversely associated with smoking (OR=0.85; 95%CI:0.74-0.96), high alcohol (OR=0.81; 95%CI:0.66-0.99) and low fruit consumption (OR=0.83; 95%CI:0.73-0.93), but not with sedentary lifestyle. Having had a blood pressure test was also inversely associated with smoking (OR=0.84; 95%CI:0.73-0.97), high alcohol (OR=0.74; 95%CI:0.60-0.92) and low fruit consumption (OR=0.73; 95%CI:0.64-0.84). The more risk factors reported by respondents, the less likely they were to have had a preventive test in the past year. Individuals with all four risk factors were less likely to have had their cholesterol (OR=0.42; 95%CI:0.26-0.68) and blood pressure (OR=0.45; 95%CI:0.27-0.75) measured compared to individuals with no risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS
Screening strategies in Europe need to be revised, as Europeans at the highest risk for cardiovascular diseases were the least likely to have received a cholesterol or blood pressure test.