OBJECTIVETo study the cardiovascular risk factors and clinical medications in patients with cardiovascular disease in Guangzhou hospitals.

METHODSCluster sampling and non-random sampling methods were used to analyze the cardiovascular risk factors and clinical medications among the 6691 inpatients with cardiovascular diseases in the department of cardiology of 9 large general hospitals in Guangzhou during 1995-2005.

RESULTSCompared with the data in 1995, the incidences of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypertriglyceridemia increased while hypercholesteremia, elevated low-density lipoprotein, and low high-density lipoprotein levels decreased in 2005. The percentage of patients with level 1 (mild) hypertension was lower while that of patients with level 2 (moderate) hypertension higher in 2005 than in 1995. The percentages of use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin II receptor antagonist (ARB), beta-blockers, diuretics, and anti-platelet drugs (aspirin, clopidogrel), as well as statins lipid-lowering drugs, increased significantly in 2005 as compared with those in 1995.

CONCLUSIONThe cardiovascular risk factors and clinical medications underwent significant changes in Guangzhou hospitals in the period from 1995 to 2005, and the blood pressure, blood glucose, hypertriglyceridemia of the patients did not appear to be well controlled. The application rate of ACEI, ARB, beta-blockers, diuretics, aspirin, clopidogrel and statins increased rapidly for treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and these drugs have become the first-line drugs.