BACKGROUND: All @entity1 with @entity65 ( @entity65 ) are at high risk of recurrent events. Despite strong evidence, large treatment gaps exists in @entity65 secondary prevention. We hypothesize that @entity1 's self-perception and general practitioner's (GP) assessment of future cardiovascular risk may influence secondary prevention behaviors. DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined @entity1 and practitioner's perceived risk and its relationship with the uptake of secondary prevention recommendations in adults with @entity65 participating in the Australian @entity101 and Absolute Risk Study (AusHEART). RESULTS: Among the 1453 @entity1 , only 11% reported having a high absolute risk and 29% reported high relative risk of recurrent events. The GPs categorized only 30% as having a 5-year risk >= 15%. After adjusting for covariates, hospitalization within the preceding 12 months was the only significant predictor of @entity1 accurate risk perception. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors were predictive of the GP's risk estimates. @entity1 who accurately understood their risk reported higher smoking cessation rates (7%Vs3%, p=0.003) and greater use of antiplatelet, blood pressure lowering therapy and statins (p  <= 0.01). However there was no relationship between GP's risk perception and secondary prevention treatments. CONCLUSION: Both @entity1 and GPs have optimistic bias and under-estimate the risk of future cardiovascular events. @entity1 's accurate self-perception, but not GPs risk perception, was associated with improved secondary preventative behaviors. This suggests that helping @entity1 understand their risk may influence their motivation towards secondary prevention. Providing support to GPs or programs to help @entity1 better understand their risks could have potential benefit on secondary prevention behaviours.

Inaccurate risk perceptions contribute to treatment gaps in secondary prevention of XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'Patients', 'patients', 'patient', 'Patient'] @entity101 :: ('MESH:D006973', 'Disease') :: ['Hypertension'] @entity65 :: ('MESH:D002318', 'Disease') :: ['CVD', 'cardiovascular disease']
@entity65 :: (MESH:D002318,Disease) :: ['cardiovascular disease']
