OBJECTIVES: To determine the association and the therapeutic control goals of certain cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in a Spanish primary care population. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed based on patient's data from five ambulatory primary care centres. Patients aged > 18 years, attended during year 2004, with at least one major CVRF were included. The following variables were analysed: age, sex, main diagnosis (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and/or cardiovascular event [ECV]) and clinical parameters (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, LDLc, HbA1c). Therapeutic control goals were established according to NCEP-ATP III. A bivariant analysis and a binary logistic regression model were performed to fit the model. The statistical program SPSS was used with a 5% significance level. RESULTS: A total of 15,470 patients had at least one CVRF. Mean age was 61.3 ± 14.3; 53.7% were female and 14.2% had a history of CVD. The diagnosis was hypertension in 60.6%, diabetes in 26.7% and hipercolesterolemia in 49.5%. The presence of CVRF > 3 was confirmed in 5.8% and CVD in 28.3%. The percentage of patients who uncontroled BP or TC was 46.4% and 48.7%, respectively. The correction of the logistic model demonstrated the association of CVD with male sex (OR = 2.6), diabetes (OR = 2.2), dyslipidemia (OR = 1.6), BP (OR = 1.3) and age (OR = 1.1), p <0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic control goals in primary care setting might be improved. It would be necessary to make new representative studies showing the degree of control of our patients in daily clinical practice.