Pop-Up Cardiovascular Screening Within Community Pharmacies and an International Sporting Event
Key result
Opportunistic pop-up screening identifies uncontrolled CV risk factors in ~69% of participants.
- n=76,085
Why the study?
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, but population-level cardiovascular risk screening remains challenging due to variable uptake and compliance.
Does opportunistic pop-up cardiovascular screening identify uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors in the general population?
Key Points
- To evaluate an opportunistic pop-up screening strategy for cardiovascular disease risk factors and identify demographic differences across kiosk locations and screening times.
- Conducted a 7-week prospective observational study (N=76,085) utilizing participant-operated health kiosks across 311 community pharmacies (n=68,345) and a stadium during an international sporting event (n=7,740).
- Recorded demographic details, medical history, lifestyle factors, and evaluated the primary outcome of uncontrolled cardiovascular risk, defined as elevated blood pressure, elevated body mass index, or active smoking.
- Overall, 68.9% of participants (52,453/76,085) exhibited at least one uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factor, including 60.5% with elevated BMI, 37.2% with elevated blood pressure, and 12.1% who were active smokers.
- Higher rates of uncontrolled risk factors were detected at the international sporting event compared to pharmacies, as well as in rural pharmacies and during weekday, daytime screening periods.
Study Design
Type
Observational (n=76,085)
Multicenter
Yes
Structured PICO
Does opportunistic pop-up cardiovascular screening identify uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors in the general population?
P
Population
76,085 participants screened for cardiovascular risk factors using pop-up health stations at community pharmacies and a sporting event over a 7-week period.
E
Exposure
Opportunistic pop-up cardiovascular screening using participant-operated health stations.
O
Outcome
Prevalence of an uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factor, defined as elevated blood pressure readings, elevated body mass index, or active smoking.composite
Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“Heart health checks in the community can identify risk factors for future heart disease that can be managed by lifestyle changes or early preventive medications and save lives down the road. We saw in this study that screening in a variety of places in the community not only works to identify risk but showed that different types of risk were more prevalent depending on screening location, screening day and screening time.”
“They identified thousands of Australians at risk, many of whom hadn't had a blood pressure check in the past year. Meeting people where they are, whether that's at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes.”
ANAdam N. BermanCardiologist, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
“Ultimately, efforts like the pop-up screening model described by Tan and colleagues should serve as a catalyst for developing population health interventions that are not only acceptable and scalable, but also create a continuous arc from detection to immediate treatment for sustained risk factor control.”
Implication
Opportunistic pop-up cardiovascular screening in community settings identifies a high prevalence of uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors, highlighting its potential for population-level risk assessment.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. However, screening for cardiovascular risk at a population level remains challenging due to variable uptake and compliance. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated an opportunistic pop-up approach to community screening for cardiovascular risk and the differences in captured populations according to screening station location and day and time of screening. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted over a 7-week period using a participant-operated health station that recorded demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, medical history, and engagement with health care. Stations were placed in 311 community pharmacies and a stadium during an international sporting event. The primary outcome was prevalence of an uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factor, defined as elevated blood pressure readings, elevated body mass index, or active smoking. RESULTS: A total of 76,085 participants were screened: 68,345 (89.8%) participants at pharmacies and 7,740 (10.2%) at the sporting event. There were 34,430 (45.3%) participants aged ≥45 years, and 39,957 (52.5%) were male. A total of 52,453 (68.9%) participants met the primary outcome: 37.2% had elevated blood pressure readings, 60.5% elevated body mass index, and 12.1% were smokers. Higher rates of the primary outcome were observed at the sporting event compared with pharmacies. Among community pharmacy participants, increased rates of uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors were observed in rural pharmacy locations and during weekday and daytime screening. CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors were prevalent during opportunistic pop-up community screening, with higher rates observed at the sporting event, rural pharmacies, and during weekday and daytime screening.
Discussion
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Cite This Study
Nelson et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Cardiovascular risk (n=76,085). Opportunistic pop-up community screening was evaluated on Prevalence of an uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factor (elevated blood pressure, elevated body mass index, or active smoking). Opportunistic pop-up community screening identified uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors in 68.9% of participants, with higher rates at a sporting event compared with community pharmacies.