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The EuroAction study, which included 10,792 high-risk patients from eight European countries including the UK, found that lifestyle intervention by a trained nurse, working closely with a GP, reduced a range of cardiovascular risk factors. 

The nurses saw the lifestyle-intervention patients four to five times over six to eight weeks and then followed up patients for up to a year. 

The researchers found that patients given the lifestyle intervention had reduced risk of CVD compared to patients given usual care (see chart). 

They had higher consumption  of fruit and vegetables and increased levels of physical activity. Their levels of central obesity fell, and more patients reached BP and cholesterol targets than if they were receiving usual care. 

In contrast to previous studies which had found only short-term effects, the effects of the intervention were sustained over at least a year. 

Sussex GP Dr Jonathan Morrell, the UK primary care coordinator of the trial, said: ‘These small impacts on a wide range of risk factors add up to an important impact on overall risk. 

‘This shows lifestyle intervention is worthwhile in patients at high risk of CVD, equivalent to the 20 per cent risk level of UK recommendations in JBS2.’ 

David Wood, professor of preventive cardiology at Imperial College medical school, London, and chairman of the study, said the practices in the study were ‘not academic’. 

‘These results are realistically achievable in everyday practice,’ he said. 

Berkshire GP Dr George Kassianos said the findings supported the changes brought about by the quality framework. 

‘Our patients are making repeated visits,’ he said. ‘If we give support at every visit we can achieve the kind of improvements seen in EuroAction — perhaps even better.’