Cardiovascular Screening: Results and Analysis of Behavioural Risk Factors in AULSS5 Polesana.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, in Europe, and in Italy. Their onset can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and abstention from smoking and alcohol consumption. The proactive cardiovascular screening program "Cardio50", provided for by the 2020-2025 Regional Prevention Plan of the Veneto Region, is positioned as a primary and secondary prevention intervention aimed at the early identification of modifiable risk factors in an apparently healthy population. OBJECTIVE: The study analysed the results of the "Cardio50" screening program conducted by the Prevention Department of AULSS 5 Polesana during the 2024-2025 two-year period on the cohort of subjects born in 1974-1975. Results were compared with data from the PASSI surveillance system relating to the same territory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the session of the cardiovascular screening, participants' lifestyle habits are investigated and anthropometric, blood pressure, and blood chemistry parameters are recorded, on the basis of which the software assigns a specific risk class (A, B1, B2, C, C1, D). Subjects in Class B2 are recalled for a six-month follow-up. RESULTS: Out of 5481 potential participants, 2107 subjects (38.4%) took part, including 1109 women and 998 men. The distribution of risk classes showed a clear predominance of Class B2 (44.8%), followed by Class C (25.2%); overall, 85.2% of subjects required targeted interventions to address their risk factors. Six-month follow-up participation among subjects in Class B2 was 13.6%. Of the participants, 24.1% were smokers, 64.1% led a physically active lifestyle, 52.4% presented excess body weight and 12% consumed alcohol in a manner defined as higher-risk for health. DISCUSSION: The clear predominance of subjects in Class B2, nearly one in two participants, highlights how a substantial proportion of the population exhibits at-risk behaviours despite the absence of overt clinical abnormalities, identifying a priority target for primary prevention. The low follow-up return rate represents a significant critical issue, as the sole initial detection of risk factors does not guarantee a genuine public health benefit without continuity of the preventive pathway. Comparison with PASSI showed consistency for smoking and excess body weight, a modest difference in physical activity levels and a discrepancy regarding alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms the usefulness of the "Cardio50" program in the early detection of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, but highlights the need to strengthen patient retention strategies during follow-up, including through greater involvement of general practitioners and local healthcare networks, in order to transform screening into a genuine long-term cardiovascular prevention pathway through integrated care.