Lifestyle change and cardiovascular disease. Evidence and issues

Lifestyle change is an area in which the medical practitioner has a great deal to offer: to high-risk patients and to individuals generally. The evidence supporting the cardiovascular health benefits of lifestyle change comes from a variety of scientific sources. While the recent large-scale intervention studies have not always had unequivocal outcomes, on balance, the epidemiological evidence points to the central importance of lifestyle change in reducing CVD risk. Recently the United States Preventive Services Task Force22 has published guidelines on lifestyle change and other interventions for CVD risk and for a range of other preventable health problems. The United States Task Force's recommendations have been favourably reviewed by the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia, and are considered to be relevant to medical practice in this country.