Objective: To evaluate, through active call, lifestyles of an asymptomatic population in order to identify hyperglycaemic subjects and/or high-blood pressure sufferers to dispatch to their GP to perform suitable checking, and subjects to invite to a cardiovascular disease prevention programme because of their lifestyles.
Setting and participants: Between April 2011 and March 2013, all healthy residents in 6 Local Health Authorities of Regione Veneto aged 45-59 years were invited to join a cardiovascular disease prevention programme.
Design: All participants were evaluated through an administered lifestyle questionnaire. Parameters such as blood pressure (BP), glycemia, waist circumference and body mass index were collected and recorded. Participants also received counseling, informational materials on lifestyle and were invited to individual or group health promotion initiatives in relation to personal risk factors.
Results: Among the invited, 60.84%(10,346/17,004) adhered. Subjects without risks factors were 23.95%. Subjects with lifestyle risk factors but normal BP and glycemia were 56.59%, while those with altered values for BP and glycemia were 13.9%. The 5.55% of the respondents was not eligible for the study.
Conclusions: The results confirmthat a preventive programme based on the citizens active call by the Department of prevention could be an effective tool to identify asymptomatic individuals with unknown hypertension and/or hyperglycaemia and to offer lifestyle interventions to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Since the results were positive, the the Regional Veneto Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CCMR - Veneto) presented a similar project to the Ministry of Health, involving 12 Italian Regions.