Translating guidelines to practice: findings from a multidisciplinary preventive cardiology programme in the west of Ireland.

Aims: The aim of this observational, descriptive study is to evaluate the impact of an intensive, evidence-based preventive cardiology programme on medical and lifestyle risk factors in patients at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods: Increased CVD risk patients and their family members/partners were invited to attend a 16-week programme consisting of a professional multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention, with appropriate risk factor and therapeutic management in a community setting. Smoking, dietary habits, physical activity levels, waist circumference and body mass index, and medical risk factors were measured at initial assessment, at end of programme, and at 1-year follow up.