Effectiveness of a decentralized, community-related approach to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factor levels in Germany

AIMS: Conventional community-oriented prevention programmes have been moderately successful in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factor levels in the population. Within the German Cardiovascular Prevention Study, a new decentralized and community-related form of preventive intervention was tested. METHODS AND RESULTS: Interested lay people and general practitioners co-operated in developing activities conducive towards a healthier lifestyle in two towns. Changes in risk factor levels were evaluated by repeated surveys of independent cross-sectional samples in two intervention communities (n=3460, baseline; 2561, final). National survey data (n=4788, baseline; 5311, final) were used to describe secular trends. Six years after the onset of intervention activities the following changes in risk factor prevalence for both sexes combined were observed in the intervention communities (95% CI in brackets): smoking -10.5% (-17.6 to -3.4); hypertension -29.0% (-38.1 to -19. 9); total cholesterol >/=250 mg. dl(-1)-8.1% (-15.4 to -0.9). In contrast to a national increase in the prevalence of obesity, this rate remained stable in the intervention communities. CONCLUSION: Initiating preventive activities developed by community members under the responsibility of local doctors is effective in lowering cardiovascular risk factors at community level. Unlike traditional intervention programmes this new approach does not require external funding and guidance.