title: Contribution of individual risk factor changes to reductions in population absolute cardiovascular risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have investigated individual risk factor contributions to absolute cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Even fewer have examined changes in individual risk factors as components of overall modifiable risk change following a CVD prevention intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal study of population CVD risk factor changes following a health screening and enhanced support programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  The contribution of individual risk factors to the estimated absolute CVD risk in a population of high risk patients identified from general practice records was evaluated. Further, the proportion of the modifiable risk attributable to each factor that was removed following one year of enhanced support was estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of patients (533 males, 68 females) was 63.7 (6.4) years. High cholesterol (57%) was most prevalent, followed by smoking (53%) and high blood pressure (26%). Smoking (57%) made the greatest contribution to the modifiable population CVD risk, followed by raised blood pressure (26%) and raised cholesterol (17%). After one year of enhanced support, the modifiable population risk attributed to smoking (56%), high blood pressure (68%), and high cholesterol (53%) was removed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Approximately 59% of the modifiable risk attributable to the combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and current smoking was removed after intervention.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research and Action in Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cochrane
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research and Action in Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sport Health and Exercise Research, Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4990-4572
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gidlow
authors.affiliation: Stoke-on-Trent City Council Public Health Directorate, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH, UK.
authors.forename: Zafar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.affiliation: Stoke-on-Trent City Council Public Health Directorate, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH, UK.
authors.forename: Jagdish
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Stoke-on-Trent City Council Public Health Directorate, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH, UK.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mawby
authors.affiliation: Stoke-on-Trent City Council Public Health Directorate, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH, UK.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior