Healthy Hearts: A Community Program to Prevent Heart Disease
Author Information
Author(s): Gill Richardson, Hugo C van Woerden, Lucy Morgan, Rhiannon Edwards, Monica Harries, Elaine Hancock, Susan Sroczynska, Mererid Bowley
Primary Institution: Caerphilly Teaching Local Health Board
Hypothesis
Can a community-based intervention reduce Framingham risk scores in individuals aged 45 to 64 without pre-existing coronary heart disease?
Conclusion
This community intervention for primary prevention of CHD reduces Framingham risk scores at one year in those who engage with the programme.
Supporting Evidence
- The mean reduction in Framingham risk score was 0.876% after one year.
- The mean 10-year risk of CHD decreased from 13.14% to 12.34%.
- Participants who were referred for further advice had a larger reduction in risk scores.
Takeaway
This study shows that a community program can help people lower their risk of heart disease by giving them advice and support.
Methodology
Participants aged 45-64 were invited for cardiovascular risk assessment, and those who attended received advice and follow-up assessments one year later.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to self-selection of participants and lack of follow-up for non-attendees.
Limitations
The study lacks a control group and is not representative of areas with lower rates of CHD.
Participant Demographics
Participants were predominantly Caucasian, aged 45-64, with a mix of men and women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
0.211 to 1.541
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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