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Successful modification of medical students' cardiovascular risk factors
P Greenlee1, C H Castle, F R Woolley
1Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132.
Insights
A preventive cardiology course improved cardiovascular health in medical students. The intervention reduced modifiable risk factors like low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and poor aerobic capacity, indicating potential for behavior change.
Area of Science:
- Preventive Cardiology
- Medical Education
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease risk is influenced by modifiable risk factors.
- Educational interventions can potentially alter behavior to address these risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a preventive cardiology educational intervention on medical students' cardiovascular risk factors.
- To evaluate changes in health and fitness status before and after the educational course.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 89 freshman medical students at the University of Utah were assessed for cardiovascular risk factors in 1983.
- Students received their risk factor results during a preventive cardiology course.
- The same 77 students (87% follow-up) were reevaluated in their senior year using identical methods.
Main Results:
- Initially, 83% of students had at least one modifiable cardiovascular risk factor.
- By their senior year, this percentage decreased to 62%.
- Significant reductions were observed in students with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .009) and low aerobic capacity (P = .0008).
Conclusions:
- The preventive cardiology educational intervention was associated with a significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors.
- The findings suggest that such educational programs can effectively modify student behavior and enhance cardiovascular health.
- This study highlights the potential of targeted education in mitigating cardiovascular disease risks among future healthcare professionals.
Abstract:
Modifying identified risk factors for cardiovascular disease should change an individual's risk. Educational interventions might change behavior to modify some risk factors. To evaluate this possibility, we evaluated the health and fitness status of freshman medical students at the University of Utah (n = 89) in 1983 and determined their cardiovascular risk factors. During a preventive cardiology course later that year, students received their results. We reevaluated the students during their senior year using the same method. For both years, we obtained complete data on 77 (87%) of the eligible students. As freshmen 83% of these students had at least one modifiable risk factor, compared with 62% with a risk as seniors. The number of reevaluated students with low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low estimations of aerobic capacity, or both, decreased significantly (P = .009 and P = .0008, respectively). The preventive cardiology educational intervention may have changed behavior and improved cardiovascular risk factors.