Biases in Cardiovascular Risk Perception: Psychological and Demographic Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hungary.

Abstract

Understanding cardiovascular (CV) risk above a certain age is vital following a health-focused, balanced lifestyle. This cross-sectional study aims to identify distortions in CV perception and their potential predictors in a primary care sample. For 376 participants in Hungary, the Framingham cardiovascular risk score was calculated, and a questionnaire measuring demographic, medical, psychological characteristics, and perceived cardiovascular risk was administered. Analyses were conducted in a 3-group design comparing "realistic" (39%), "optimistic" (18%), and "pessimistic" (43%); (corresponding to accurate estimation, underestimation, and overestimation of calculated risk, respectively) perception groups. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the main predictors of "optimistic" perception were male sex (OR =  0.853; <i>P</i> < .001), blood pressure (OR = 1.038; <i>P</i> = .006), and age (OR = 1.084; <i>P</i> = .018). Given that more than half of the participants had inaccurate cardiovascular self-assessments, these findings suggest that interventions addressing risk misperceptions may be needed in cardiovascular prevention.