The Kilkenny Health Project: A community research and demonstration cardiovascular health programme

1991 ◽  
Vol 160 (9) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Shelley ◽  
L. Daly ◽  
I. Graham ◽  
A. Beirne ◽  
R. Conroy ◽  
...  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariam Kashani ◽  
Arn H Eliasson ◽  
Elaine M Walizer ◽  
Clarie E Fuller ◽  
Renata J Engler ◽  
...  

<p><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Self-efficacy, defined as confidence in the ability to carry out behavior to achieve a desired goal, is considered to be a prerequisite for behavior change. Self-efficacy correlates with cardiovascular health although optimal timing to incorporate self-efficacy strategies is not well established. We sought to study the effect of an empowerment approach implemented in the introductory phase of a multicomponent lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular health outcomes.</p><p><strong>DESIGN:</strong> Prospective intervention cohort study.</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> Patients in the Integrative Cardiac Health Project Registry, a prospective lifestyle change program for the prevention of cardiovascular disease were analyzed for behavioral changes by survey, at baseline and one year, in the domains of nutrition, exercise, stress management and sleep. Self-efficacy questionnaires were administered at baseline and after the empowerment intervention, at 8 weeks.</p><p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Of 119 consecutive registry completers, 60 comprised a high self-efficacy group (scoring at or above the median of 36 points) and 59 the low self-efficacy group (scoring below median).  Self-efficacy scores increased irrespective of baseline self-efficacy but the largest gains in self-efficacy occurred in patients who ranked in the lower half for self-efficacy at baseline. This lower self-efficacy group demonstrated behavioral gains that erased differences between the high and low self-efficacy groups. <strong></strong></p><p><strong>CONCLUSIONS:</strong> A boost to self-efficacy early in a lifestyle intervention program produces significant improvements in behavioral outcomes.  Employing empowerment in an early phase may be a critical strategy to improve self-efficacy and lower risk in individuals vulnerable to cardiovascular disease.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline M. Kimes ◽  
Shannon L. Golden ◽  
Rhonda F. Maynor ◽  
John G. Spangler ◽  
Ronny A. Bell

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Ivey ◽  
Shilpa Patel ◽  
Preety Kalra ◽  
Kurt Greenlund ◽  
Shobha Srinivasan ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Earnest ◽  
S. Kupper ◽  
M. Thompson ◽  
Guo ◽  
S. Church

Homocysteine (HCY), C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and triglycerides (TG) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). While multivitamins (MVit) may reduce HCY and hsCRP, omega-3 fatty acids (N3) reduce TG; yet, they are seldom studied simultaneously. We randomly assigned 100 participants with baseline HCY (> 8.0 umol/L) to the daily ingestion of: (1) placebo, (2) MVit (VitC: 200 mg; VitE: 400 IU; VitB6: 25 mg; Folic Acid: 400 ug; VitB12: 400 ug) + placebo, (3) N3 (2 g N3, 760 mg EPA, 440 mg DHA)+placebo, or (4) MVit + N3 for 12 weeks. At follow-up, we observed significant reductions in HCY (umol/L) for the MVit (- 1.43, 95 %CI, - 2.39, - 0.47) and MVit + N3 groups (- 1.01, 95 %CI, - 1.98, - 0.04) groups, both being significant (p < 0.05) vs. placebo (- 0.57, 95 %CI, - 1.49, 0.35) and N3 (1.11, 95 % CI, 0.07, 2.17). hsCRP (nmol/L) was significantly reduced in the MVit (- 6.00, 95 %CI, - 1.04, - 0.15) and MVit + N3 (- 0.98, 95 %CI, - 1.51, - 0.46) groups, but not vs. placebo (- 0.15, 95 %CI, - 0.74, 0.43) or N3 (- 0.53, 95 %CI, - 1.18, 0.12). Lastly, we observed significant reductions in TG for the N3 (- 0.41, 95 %CI, - 0.69, - 0.13) and MVit + N3 (- 0.71, 95 %CI, - 0.93, - 0.46) groups, both significant vs. placebo (- 0.10, 95 %CI, - 0.36, 0.17) and MVit groups (0.15, 95 %CI, - 12, 0.42). The co-ingestion of MVit + N3 provides synergistic affects on HCY, hsCRP, and plasma TG.


2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faye S. Routledge ◽  
Judith A. McFetridge-Durdle ◽  
Marilyn Macdonald ◽  
Lynn Breau ◽  
Tavis Campbell

Ruminating about a prior anger provoking event is found to elevate blood pressure (BP) and delay BP recovery. Delayed BP recovery may be associated with increased risk of hypertension. Interventions that improve BP recovery may be beneficial for cardiovascular health. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the influence of rumination and anger on BP reactivity and recovery, to compare the effect of an exercise intervention or distraction intervention on BP recovery and to explore if exercise improved BP recovery by distracting participants from stressor-related rumination and anger. Healthy, normotensive participants (n = 79, mean age 22.2 ± 4.0 years) underwent an anger-recall interview stressor task, 3 min of exercise (walking), distraction (reading) or no-intervention (quiet sitting) and a 15 min recovery period. State anger reactivity was associated with Δ diastolic (D) BP reactivity and approached significance with Δ systolic (S) BP reactivity. Trait rumination was associated with greater SBP during recovery. Δ SBP recovery did not differ between the exercise, distraction and no-intervention groups. Although there were no differences in Δ DBP recovery between the exercise and no-intervention groups, distraction improved Δ DBP recovery compared to the exercise intervention but not the no-intervention. The proportion of anger-related thoughts (state rumination) in the exercise group did not differ from the distraction or no-intervention groups. However, a smaller proportion of participants in the distraction intervention reported an anger-related thought during recovery compared to the no-intervention group with 76% of their thoughts relating to the provided distraction. Overall, post-stressor exercise was not found to improve BP recovery while reading was effective at distracting individuals from angry thoughts (state rumination) but had no effect on BP compared to no-intervention.


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