However, it is essential to point out that the sample size included (n= 9) is small to be able to reach
generalizations in such a short time, especially in an impact variable that is calculated in the long term
(10 years) in the outcome of events " hard”such as cardiovascular events (fatal and non-fatal myocardial
infarction or cerebrovascular accident) and especially having a “complacent”starting point in which 77.8% of
patients already came with low cardiovascular risk. Not having a group control, being themselves their
control, and not having the statistical signicance of the changes observed in the variables studied, is a
signicant limitation to attribute the results obtained to the program in question.
In the present study, it is noteworthy that patients with stage 3 and 2 arterial hypertension, for
example, apparently passed to lower stages. Still, it is not mentioned whether they received pharmacological
treatment, which was mandatory in this degree of arterial hypertension, given its magnitude. : if he did not
receive it, it was a regrettable omission, and if he did receive it, then the pharmacological control was
not adequate, and we cannot attribute the drop in blood pressure only to the lifestyle program. Another
aspect that draws a lot of attention is the decrease in the reported body mass index, in which there is a
decrease in the percentage of fat but especially in muscle mass, which constitutes an "unwanted" outcome
that could lead to what we call sarcopenic obesity, with the dire consequences in cardiovascular risk that
have the loss of muscle mass. An important limitation is the fact that patients are not given basal glucose,
a variable with a high impact on cardiovascular risk since, being obese, it was necessary to rule out
diabetes in this group to better stratify it.
The present author has allowed himself to do an exercise to assess long-term cardiovascular risk
with the changes achieved by the program cited in this study to see the impact of this intervention on
cardiovascular mortality over more than 10 years, using the QRISK Lifetime Cardiovascular Risk Calculator
and using the mean values of the entire group (n=9) obtained after 6 months of intervention reported in the
tables presented. Thus, a patient with an average age of 51 years (reported in the study), a non-smoker
(since none of the group was a smoker), with a total/HDL cholesterol ratio of 5.27 and 4.98, before and
after the intervention (the average LDL-C reported by the study and an average valuemg/dlof 40 of HDL-C
before and after the intervention have been considered, the latter parameter that was not evaluated in the
present study and that constitutes a limiting) with a systolic pressure of 132 and 124 mmHg (before and
after the intervention, respectively, values reported by the study) and a weight of 109 and 106 kg (before
and after the intervention reported by the study) have the following curves projection of cardiovascular
risk: 44.3 41.2.
Figure 1. Change in cardiovascular risk estimated with QRISK LifetimeCardiovascular Risk
Calculator
Note that the cardiovascular risk curves only begin to separate above 60 years of age, which tells
us about the need for long-term sustainability of interventions to really have a signicant impact.
Finally, there is no doubt that changes in lifestyle are a fundamental pillar for the prevention of
many chronic diseases and that cardiovascular risk stratication allows the proling of each patient towards
the practice of individualized medicine with a preventive approach.
Authorship contributions: The author analyzed andthe preparation of the manuscript of
this article.
Conflicts of interest: Self financed.
Conflictos de interés: The author declares not havingconict of interests.
Received: February 16, 2022
Approved: March 03, 2022
Correspondence: John Carlos M. Longa López
Address: Calle Doña Nelly 566 dpto 401- Urb. Santa Rosa de Surco, Surco,
Lima-Perú.
Telephone number: 959912710
E-mail: johnlonga@gmail.com
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