A problem-solving intervention for cardiovascular disease risk reduction in veterans: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Health behaviors related to diet, tobacco usage, physical activity, medication adherence, and alcohol use are highly determinative of risk for developing cardiovascular disease. This paper describes a study protocol to evaluate a problem-solving intervention that aims to help patients at risk for developing cardiovascular disease address barriers to adopting positive health behaviors in order to reduce cardiovascular risk.

Methods: Eligible patients are adults enrolled in Veterans Affairs (VA) health care who have not experienced a cardiovascular event but are at elevated risk based on their Framingham Risk Score (FRS).