BMJ 1994;308:853 (26 March)

Letters

Health promotion in general practice

Pessimism is uncalled for

Editor,--We were saddened by the authors' nihilistic interpretation of the Oxcheck Study1 and British family heart study2 and cannot help wondering whether there is some subagenda. Why are the authors so pessimistic? These were short term studies and were conducted in unselected populations rather than high risk groups. Notwithstanding this, the OXCHECK study achieved a 2.3% reduction in serum cholesterol concentration and a 2.4% reduction in systolic blood pressure. If these reductions can be maintained long term then coronary and stroke prevention would follow. In the family heart study there was a 16% reduction in coronary risk score due to a reduction in smoking, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol concentration. The authors state that, on a long term basis, this would mean a 12% reduction in the risk of coronary events. We would have liked a greater reduction, but in the context of Britain's appalling mortality . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Effectiveness of health checks conducted by nurses in primary care: results of the OXCHECK study after one year
J Muir, D Mant, L Jones, and P Yudkin
BMJ 1994 308: 308-312. [Abstract] [Full Text]

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