There is suggestive but inconclusive evidence from the trials of a benefit in the use of brief interventions for risk factor modification in patients with coronary heart disease .
This review , however , supports the concept that brief interventions for patients with coronary heart disease can have beneficial effects on risk factor modification and consequently on progression of coronary heart disease .
Further trials using larger sample sizes need to be undertaken to demonstrate the benefits of brief structured intervention targeted at the modification of single or multiple risk factors
BACKGROUND The physical and psychosocial benefits of participation in cardiac rehabilitation following a coronary event have well been established .
Despite these benefits there is strong evidence that participation in traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs remains low .
Various models of cardiac rehabilitation have been implemented including the use of brief structured interventions to enable modification of coronary risk factors .
OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to determine the effect of brief structured interventions on risk factor modification in patients with coronary heart disease .
Efforts to improve subsequent treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in older patients with diabetes hospitalized for a cardiac event.
OBJECTIVE To improve the treatment of risk factors of cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) for older patients with diabetes after a cardiac event by using a low-literacy reminder card describing these risk factors in community setting s. STUDY DESIGN A multicenter , r and omized , interventional study . METHODS Patients aged 55 years or older with diabetes hospitalized with an acute myocardial infa rct ion , congestive heart failure exacerbation , or unstable angina were eligible to enter the study . Control and experimental patients were recruited from 4 sites and were enrolled in the study before discharge from the hospital . Experimental subjects received education and a reminder card describing risk factors of CVD . They were instructed to discuss the risk factors described on the reminder card with their primary care physician on their first appointment after discharge . Control subjects did not receive any intervention but were given consent to be able to review their charts . RESULTS One hundred sixty patients completed the study , 82 in the control group and 78 in the experimental group . At the end of the study there was no difference in blood pressure control , lipid levels , and glycosylated hemoglobin levels between the control and experimental patients . Aspirin use and ACE inhibitor use were found to be significantly higher in the control group ( P = .001 and .03 , respectively ) . CONCLUSIONS Reminder cards given to patients to discuss with their primary care providers in community setting s did not improve process measures of CVD risk in patients with documented CVD and diabetes . Other approaches will be needed to improve the treatment of risk factors in these high-risk patients
There is suggestive but inconclusive evidence from the trials of a benefit in the use of brief interventions for risk factor modification in patients with coronary heart disease .
This review , however , supports the concept that brief interventions for patients with coronary heart disease can have beneficial effects on risk factor modification and consequently on progression of coronary heart disease .
Further trials using larger sample sizes need to be undertaken to demonstrate the benefits of brief structured intervention targeted at the modification of single or multiple risk factors
BACKGROUND The physical and psychosocial benefits of participation in cardiac rehabilitation following a coronary event have well been established .
Despite these benefits there is strong evidence that participation in traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs remains low .
Various models of cardiac rehabilitation have been implemented including the use of brief structured interventions to enable modification of coronary risk factors .
OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to determine the effect of brief structured interventions on risk factor modification in patients with coronary heart disease .