There is uncertainty whether current strategies for providing CVD risk scores  affect CVD events .
Providing CVD risk scores may slightly reduce CVD risk factor levels and may increase preventive medication prescribing in higher-risk people without evidence of harm .
BACKGROUND The current paradigm for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) emphasises absolute risk assessment to guide treatment decisions in primary prevention .
Although the derivation and validation of multivariable risk assessment tools , or CVD risk scores , have attracted considerable attention , their effect on clinical outcomes is uncertain .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of evaluating and providing CVD risk scores in adults without prevalent CVD on cardiovascular outcomes , risk factor levels , preventive medication prescribing , and health behaviours .
Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Shared Decision Making in Primary Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial
PURPOSE We wanted to determine the effect of promoting the effective communication of absolute cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk and shared decision making through disseminating a simple decision aid for use in family practice consultations . METHODS The study was based on a pragmatic , cluster r and omized controlled trial ( phase III ) with  continuing medical education ( CME ) groups of family physicians  as the unit of r and omization . In the intervention arm , 44 physicians ( 7 CME groups ) consecutively recruited 550 patients in whom cholesterol levels were measured . Forty-seven physicians in the control arm ( 7 CME groups ) similarly included 582 patients . Four hundred sixty patients ( 83.6 % ) of the intervention arm and 466 patients ( 80.1 % ) of the control arm were seen at follow-up . Physicians attended 2 interactive CME sessions and received a booklet , a paper-based risk calculator , and individual summary sheets for each patient . Control physicians attended 1 CME-session on an alternative topic . Main outcome measures were patient satisfaction and participation after the index consultation , change in CVD risk status , and decisional regret at 6 months ’ follow-up . RESULTS Intervention patients were significantly more satisfied with process and result ( Patient Participation Scale , difference 0.80 , P<.001 ) . Decisional regret was significantly lower at follow-up ( difference 3.39 , P = .02 ) . CVD risk decreased in both groups without a significant difference between study arms . CONCLUSION A simple transactional decision aid based on calculating absolute individual CVD risk and promoting shared decision making in CVD prevention can be disseminated through CME groups and may lead to higher patient satisfaction and involvement and less decisional regret , without negatively affecting global CVD risk
There is uncertainty whether current strategies for providing CVD risk scores  affect CVD events .
Providing CVD risk scores may slightly reduce CVD risk factor levels and may increase preventive medication prescribing in higher-risk people without evidence of harm .
BACKGROUND The current paradigm for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) emphasises absolute risk assessment to guide treatment decisions in primary prevention .
Although the derivation and validation of multivariable risk assessment tools , or CVD risk scores , have attracted considerable attention , their effect on clinical outcomes is uncertain .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of evaluating and providing CVD risk scores in adults without prevalent CVD on cardiovascular outcomes , risk factor levels , preventive medication prescribing , and health behaviours .