ANDREE WENNSTIG - Health-promoting prevention of cardiovascular disease in Primary Care: can pictorial information make a difference?

Project description

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in Sweden and can largely be prevented. Although knowledge about healthy lifestyle habits is well spread in the population, and despite the fact that guidelines on preventive measures are well known by physicians, the incidence of CVD has not decreased to the extend one would expect. Difficulties with risk assessment and risk communication among physicians, and problems with interpreting risks and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits among patients are obstacles. Adding pictorial information about atherosclerosis in routine healthcare has resulted in improved cardiovascular risk markers and increased drug prescription.

Aim

We want to to evaluate pictorial information for improved prevention of CVD in primary care with a focus on health-promoting lifestyle habits, medication, healthcare consumption and morbidity and mortality in CVD.

Method

VIPVIZA (Västerbotten Intervention Program VIsualiZation of asymptomatic Atherosclerosic disease for optimum cardiovascular prevention) is a pragmatic, prospective, open, randomized, controlled study within VHU (Västerbotten Health Examinations). 3532 participants in VHU were included in VIPVIZA. Participants underwent ultrasound of the carotid arteries and were randomized 1: 1 to either receive or not receive pictorial information about the degree of atherosclerosis. The same type of information was sent to the General Practitioners for the intervention group. Psychosocial and lifestyle factors, clinical risk markers and drug prescription are registered at start and at 1-, 3- and 6-year follow-up. Data on morbidity and mortality from CVD at 10 years from start of the study will be collected.

Relevance

The work can provide increased knowledge about simple, effective and useful methods in primary care to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.