The effect of physician office visits on CHD risk factor modification as part of a worksite cholesterol screening program

Background. Elevated serum cholesterol is a major risk factor for CHD. Primary prevention through behavioral modification has been designated first- line treatment for patients with elevated cholesterol. In this study, we assessed the impact of a physician office visit after a worksite cholesterol screening on self-reported changes in diet, weight loss, exercise, and smoking. We hypothesized that those individuals who had a physician office visit regarding cholesterol would make more changes in CHD risk factors than those who did not have such a visit. Methods. A cohort of 4,928 participants from 33 worksites in Massachusetts and Rhode Island had baseline CHD risk factors evaluated at a cholesterol screening and 4,473 were available at follow-up 6 months later by telephone interview. A total of 1,957 had elevated cholesterol levels (≥200 mg/dl) and were instructed to visit their physician, in addition to receiving educational materials related to CHD risk factor modification. Results. Most individuals with elevated cholesterol levels had other prevalent self-reported CHD risk factors at baseline: 58% consumed high-fat diets (>30% fat), 43% were overweight, 60% had a sedentary lifestyle (sweat-related physical activity