USPSTF Recommends That Primary Care Offer Counseling For the Prevention of CVD

The US Preventive Services Task Force is recommending that primary care providers offer behavioral counseling for the promotion of healthy diet and exercise to adults who are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Grade B recommendation).

The draft statement replaces the group’s 2014 guidelines on the use of behavioral counseling for the prevention of CVD, which recommended intensive interventions for overweight and obese adults with known CVD risk factors. The new recommendation targets adults with known hypertension or elevated blood pressure, elevated lipid levels or dyslipidemia, and mixed or multiple risk factors (e.g., metabolic syndrome or estimated 10-year CVD risk of ≥7.5%). It does not, however, cover adults with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is now treated as a separate group with its own recommendation.

The document is available for public comment until June 8, 2020.

—Michael Potts

Reference:
Healthy diet and physical activity to prevent cardiovascular disease in adults with risk factors: behavioral counseling interventions. US Preventive Services Task Force. May 12, 2020. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/diet-and-physical-activity-to-prevent-cardiovascular-disease-in-adults-with-risk-factors-counseling#bootstrap-panel--4