Intervention on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Finnmark County: Changes after a Period of Three Years: The Cardiovascular Disease Study in Finnmark County, Norway

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine
• Main Authors: Tretli, Steinar, Bjartveit, Kjell, Foss, Olav Per, Haider, Trond, Lund-Larsen, Per G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 1985
• Subjects: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Norway; Finnmark
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/140349488501300101; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/140349488501300101

In Finnmark county in Norway, 12329 males and females aged 20–49 years participated in two screening examinations with an interval of 3 years. The primary health service attempted, without receiving any extra resources, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by means of a personal intervention programme among high-risk individuals and a health education programme directed at all residents in the county. During these 3 years the serum total-cholesterol (cross-sectionally) level decreased on average by about 0.3 mmol/l due to: firstly, a decrease among persons recommended a follow-up examination and secondly a decrease among household members of persons followed-up. The effect of a recommendation to attend a follow-up examination because of high blood pressure was doubtful. Cigarette consumption (cross-sectionally) decreased 12% for males and 4% for females. The joint decrease (improvement) in risk factors indicates a possible health benefit of about 20%, calculated in terms of myocardial infarction over 10 years.