title: How to improve cooperation with political leaders and other decision-makers to improve prevention of cardiovascular disease: lessons from Poland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main health problem in Poland. We decided to use modern social marketing methods to present the current epidemiological situation to political and key opinion leaders in Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  The surveys were carried out in the following groups: members of the Polish parliament, members of the executive bodies of the two largest trades unions in Poland, participants at the Polish Hygiene Society Congress, representatives of the health insurance board in the district of Pomerania, and press and radio journalists. The study consisted of a questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurements, and cholesterol and glucose level tests. The results were presented to examined subjects individually and in the form of an educational conference held on the same day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the examined groups of political and opinion leaders awareness of one's own blood pressure was declared by 40.6-86% of the subjects, increased blood pressure was found in 36-43.5%, overweight or obesity (body mass index 25 kg/m) in 40.6-67.3%, smoking was declared by 16.5-30%. The results were compared with those obtained in corresponding age groups in the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The idea of presenting the current epidemiological burden caused by CVD in Poland by means of an assessment of individual and collective CVD risk among political and opinion leaders appeared to be an effective method of education and constructive lobbying for the fight against an epidemic of myocardial infarctions and strokes in Poland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hypertension and Diabetology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland. tzdroj@amg.gda.pl
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zdrojewski
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Babinska
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakol
authors.forename: Wiktor
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Januszko
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rutkowski
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bandosz
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piwonski
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krupa-Wojciechowska
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wyrzykowski
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006076:Government; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D020452:Journalism; D007857:Leadership; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D011639:Public Opinion; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology