Consultation training of nurses for cardiovascular prevention – A randomized study of 2 years duration

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flow diagram of participating nurses.

Figure 2. Flow diagram of patients. ^aData missing due to patients not showing up or the nurses being off duty when data should be collected.

Table I. Overview of blood pressure (BP), heart rate, body mass index (BMI), weight, waist, waist-hip ratio (WHR) and blood lipids at baseline and significance level within groups after 2 years.

	Intervention group, n= 137, mean±SD (95% CI)		Control group, n= 51, mean±SD (95% CI)
	Baseline	2 years	Baseline	2 years
Systolic BP (mmHg)	159.1 ± 16.6 (156.3–161.9)	142.9 ± 15.1 (140.3–145.4)***	167.0 ± 17.6 (162.1–172.0)	145.6 ± 10.0 (141.6–149.6)***
Diastolic BP (mmHg)	93.0 ± 9.5 (91.4–94.6)	83.6 ± 9.3 (82.0–85.1)***	90.2 ± 11.3 (86.9–93.3)	83.1 ± 16.6 (80.2–85.9)***
Heart rate (beats/min)	68.8 ± 9.6 (67.2–70.4)	67.2 ± 9.9 (65.5–68.9)*	71.0 ± 12.1 (68.1–75.0)	70.3 ± 9.1 (52.5–125.7)
BMI (kg/m^2)	31.4 ± 4.3 (30.7–32.1)	30.9 ± 4.4 (30.2–31.7)***	30.9 ± 4.1 (29.8–32.1)	30.8 ± 3.7 (29.8–31.9)
Weight (kg)	93.3 ± 15.9 (90.6–95.9)	92.0 ± 16.0 (89.3–94.7)***	90.4 ± 17.5 (85.6–95.5)	90.2 ± 16.6 (85.5–94.9)
Waist men (cm)	109.8 ± 10.6 (107.4–112.3)	108.2 ± 11.7 (105.7–110.9)**	110.6 ± 9.5 (106.8–114.4)	108.4 ± 8.3:105.0–111.9)
Waist women (cm)	101.5 ± 10.2 (98.8–104.1)	99.9 ± 11.4 (96.9–102.9)*	100.0 ± 11.1 (95.5–104.6)	101.2 ± 10.9 (96.7–105.7)
WHR	1.0 ± 0.1 (0.9–1.0)	0.9 ± 0.1 (0.9–1.0)*	1.0 ± 0.1 (0.9–1.0)	0.9 ± 0.1 (0.9–1.0)
Cholesterol (mmol/l)	6.3 ± 1.1 (6.2–6.5)	5.8 ± 1.0 (5.7–6.0)***	6.4 ± 0.9 (6.2–6.7)	5.8 ± 0.9 (5.5–6.0)***
HDL (mmol/l)	1.5 ± 0.9 (1.3–1.6)	1.3 ± 0.4 (1.3–1.4)	1.5 ± 0.5 (1.4–1.7)	1.6 ± 0.7 (1.4–1.8)
LDL (mmol/l)	4.2 ± 1.0 (4.0–4.3)	3.8 ± 1.0 (12.8–81.9)***	4.8 ± 5.5 (3.3–6.4)	3.6 ± 0.8 (16.1–62.3)
TG (mmol/l)	2.0 ± 0.9;1.9–2.2)	2.1 ± 1.6;0.9–5.5)	2.0 ± 1.8;1.5–2.5)	1.7 ± 1.2;1.4–2.1)*

CI, confidence interval; HDL, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, LDL, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, TG, triglycerides. *p< 0.05, **p< 0.01 and ***p< 0.001.

Table II. Data from baseline to the 2-year follow-up for blood pressure (BP), blood lipids, waist, waist–hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI).

	Intervention group, n= 137, n (%)		Control group, n= 51, n (%)
	Baseline	2 years	Baseline	2 years
BP≤ 140/90 mmHg	0	72 (52.6)^a	0	20 (39.2)^a
SBP≤ 140 mmHg	8 (5.9)	55 (40.1)	4 (7.8)	16 (31.4)
DBP≤ 90 mmHg	62 (45.3)	96 (70.1)	30 (58.8)	36 (70.6)
TG, mmol/l <resp limit/sex^b	65 (47.8)	60 (44.1)	25 (49.0)	33 (64.7)
Cholesterol≤ 5.0 mmol/l	8 (5.8)	33 (24.1)***	1 (2.0)	9 (17.6)**
LDL≤ 3.0 mmol/l	14 (10.6)	31 (23.7)**	4 (8.2)	13 (26.0)*
HDL ≥ 1.0 mmol/l	120 (87.6)	122 (89.7)	49 (96.1)	48 (94.1)
WHR 2642 ≤ 94 cm, 2640 ≤ 80 cm	13 (9.6)	22 (16.1)	1 (2.0)	5 (9.8)
Waist
≤ 94 cm, ≤ 80 cm	4 (2.9)	9 (6.6)*	1 (2.0)	1 (2.0)
94.1–101.9 cm, 80.1–87.9 cm	17 (12.4)	25 (18.2)	5 (9.8)	7 (13.7)
> 102 cm, > 88 cm	116 (84.7)	103 (75.2)	45 (88.2)	43 (84.3)
BMI (kg/m^2)
≤ 24.9	2 (1.5)	8 (6.0)*	3 (5.9)	2 (3.9)
25–29.9	57 (41.9)	59 (44.0)	21 (41.2)	23 (45.1)
30–34.9	52 (38.2)	42 (31.3)	18 (35.3)	18 (35.3)
≥ 35	25 (18.4)	25 (18.7)	9 (17.6)	8 (15.7)

SBP, systolic blood pressure, DBP, diastolic blood pressure, TG, triglycerides, LDL, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, HDL, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. ^aNot applicable, ^b≤ 1.8 and ≤ 1.6 mmol/l. *p< 0.05, **p< 0.01 and ***p< 0.001.

Table III. Antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drug medication (proportion of patients).

	Intervention group, n= 137, n (%)		Control group, n= 51, n (%)
	Baseline	2 years	Baseline	2 years
None	33 (21.1)	17 (13.9)	15 (29.4)	5 (9.8)
Antihypertensive drugs	104 (78.9)	120 (86.1)	36 (70.6)	46 (90.2)
Beta-blockers	66 (48.2)	70 (51.1)	20 (39.2)	19 (37.3)
Calcium antagonists	24 (17.5)	37 (27.0)	7 (13.7)	18 (35.3)
ACE inhibitors	19 (13.9)	32 (23.4)	11 (21.6)	17 (33.3)
ACE inhibitors+diuretics	2 (1.5)	2 (1.5)	1 (2.0)	4 (7.8)
Angiotensin II-antagonists	17 (12.4)	20 (14.6)	2 (3.9)	8 (15.7)
Angiotensin II-antagonists+diuretics	5 (3.6)	11 (8.1)	0	1 (2.0)
Diuretics	36 (26.3)	55 (40.1)	17 (33.3)	22 (43.1)
Other^a	2 (1.5)	4 (2.9)	0	0
Lipid-lowering drugs	15 (11.0)	38 (27.5)	5 (9.9)	11 (21.6)
Statins, n (%)	14 (10.3)	35 (25.4)	4 (7.9)	10 (19.6)
Fibrates, n (%)	1 (0.7)	3 (2.1)	1 (2.0)	1 (2.0)

^aSympatholytics with central or peripheral effect. ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme.