School teachers can effectively manage primary prevention of adult cardiovascular disease. The Stradella Project.

Objective: To determine whether school teachers educated about Primary Prevention of Adult Cardiovascular Disease (PPCVD) could help their students improve their blood lipid profile.

Method: Five teachers voluntarily received training about PP-CVD. Thirteen classes of a single high school in Stradella (north Italy) were randomized to receive a 2-month course on PP-CVD (PP-classes; 150 pupils) by their teachers or to a control group (control classes; 130 pupils) during 2004. In all students body weight and fasting venous blood concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), HDL-CHOL, LDL-CHOL, and triglycerides were determined before and 6 months after the completion of the PP-CVD course.

Results: Six months after the PP-CVD course, males had significant improvements of all baseline lipid parameters whereas females had improved HDL-CHOL and TC/HDL ratio. No improvements were observed in the control class students. Body weight was unchanged in both groups of students 6 months after the PP-CVD course or the control course.

Conclusion: This investigation shows that well-trained school teachers are able to manage PP-CVD education so that students can really improve their lipid profile as a consequence of autonomous changes in dietary habits.