Effectiveness of multidisciplinary patient counselling in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors through nonpharmacological intervention: results from the Healthy Heart Program.
The value of lifestyle modification in reducing physiological cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors remains controversial because changes in patient behaviour following CVD prevention counseling have failed to correlate with or impact reductions in physiological variables.
To determine whether nonpharmacological CVD prevention counselling significantly reduces behavioural and physiological risk factors, and to examine correlations between changes in these variables.
At baseline, dyslipidemic individuals with or at risk of developing CVD completed CVD risk factor questionnaires. At baseline and three months, participants submitted dietary logs, self-classified their readiness for behaviour change for eight lifestyles, and had their blood lipid profiles, weight and height assessed. Following CVD risk factor screening, lower and higher risk participants were recommended for multidisciplinary group counselling (GC) or group plus individual counselling (GIC), respectively. A prospective time series design assessed behavioural and physiological risk factor changes.