Individualized Lifestyle Interventions in Primary Care: A Scoping Review of Intervention Characteristics and Cardiovascular Risk Outcomes

Background Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death. Although primary care plays a key role in modifying behavioral risk factors through lifestyle interventions, the available evidence is heterogeneous. Objective This scoping review aimed to map the international evidence on individualized lifestyle interventions delivered in primary care, including intervention characteristics, delivery approaches, target populations, cardiovascular risk outcomes, and reported effects. Methods PubMed was searched for interventional studies published up to May 2025. Studies including adults who received individualized lifestyle interventions in a primary care context were eligible. Outcomes included blood pressure, BMI, weight, waist-to-hip ratio, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, diet, and stress. Pharmacological interventions, meal-replacement programs, group-based interventions, and supervised exercise programs were excluded. Results Of 822 abstracts identified, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were randomized controlled trials (n = 21). Study durations ranged from 6 to 36 months. The most frequently assessed outcomes were BMI, blood pressure, physical activity, waist circumference, and body weight. Reported effects were heterogeneous, with no consistent pattern according to intervention type, provider, or intensity. Conclusions Individualized lifestyle interventions in primary care exhibit substantial heterogeneity in delivery, populations, and outcome assessment. Reported cardiovascular risk-factor effects were variable. Further studies are needed to clarify these ambiguous findings and to establish the role of individualized lifestyle interventions in cardiovascular prevention within primary care.