Endothelial dysfunction in patients exposed to cardiovascular risk factors

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. 90% of them derive from cardiovascular risk factors, the modification of which makes it possible to reverse their harmful consequences. Objective: Identify the presence of endothelial dysfunction in patients exposed to classic cardiovascular risk factors. Method: An observational, descriptive study of case series was carried out with a sample n=106 of patients exposed to classic cardiovascular risk factors, during the period January 2022 to January 2024, treated in a specialized cardiological prevention clinic, at the Cardiology Center. and Cardiovascular Surgery, “Saturnino Lora” Provincial Hospital, Santiago de Cuba. Results: The most altered endothelial function was vasomotor, the highest proportion was found in the group of sick patients, reaching 88.68%. The second most altered function of the vascular endothelium was the inflammatory response, which generally reached proportions of 79.24 and 76.42%. The increase in the intima-media thickness of the carotid artery above 0.8 mm has a strong association with the appearance of CVD (p=0.000; V=0.531), followed by the us CRP value (p=0.001 ; V=0.333). Conclusions: It is concluded that there is an association between the presence of a dysfunctional vascular endothelium and the appearance of cardiovascular disease, determined predominantly by an alteration of vasomotor function and the inflammatory response.