The CardioVision 2020 baseline community report card

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity.
• Public health initiatives are crucial for reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
• Olmsted County, Minnesota, launched the CardioVision 2020 program to address these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish baseline health data for the CardioVision 2020 program.
• To assess the prevalence of key cardiovascular disease risk factors in Olmsted County.
• To identify target areas for intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease rates.

Main Methods:

• Population data on tobacco use, diet, and physical activity were collected via random digit dial interviews and questionnaires.
• Blood pressure data were obtained from Mayo Clinic medical records.
• Serum cholesterol data were sourced from the Mayo Clinic laboratory database and stratified by age.

Main Results:

• Data were collected from 624 women and 608 men for lifestyle factors, 1,956 women and 1,084 men for blood pressure, and 17,042 women and 12,511 men for serum cholesterol.
• Fewer than 10% of the population met 4 or 5 cardiovascular health goals, with an exception for women aged 30-39.
• Approximately 90% met at least one goal, and 80% met 1-3 goals.

Conclusions:

• Baseline data reveal substantial room for improvement in cardiovascular health behaviors within the Olmsted County population.
• These findings underscore the potential for targeted interventions to significantly lower cardiovascular disease rates.
• The CardioVision 2020 program has a clear opportunity to impact public health outcomes.