Patients who maintain a regular relationship with a GP have a lower risk of cardiovascular events compared with those who see their doctor less often,
new Australian research finds.
Patients who visited their GP every three months saw their average estimated five-year risk of having a CVD-related event fall from 6.28% to 6.10% after 12 months, a randomised mutlicentre study found.
By contrast, there was no significant decline in absolute CVD risk for those randomised to just two GP visits a year (usual care), the trial found. By the end of the study, these patients had an absolute CVD risk of 6.24%.
Patients in both groups were allowed to see their doctor opportunistically as well, but during the scheduled study visits they received specific advice on their CVD-risk factor measurements and targets.
Led by Professor Tom Brett of Freemantle's University of Notre Dame, the study found patients in the intensive follow-up group were significantly more likely to achieve improvements in cholesterol measurements and waist circumference.
These patients also had greater declines in systolic and diastolic pressure compared with those in the usual care group, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Writing in the British Journal of General Practice, the authors said it was possible that greater benefits would be seen in the intensive group if the study were continued for longer.
"GPs are well positioned to offer positive health messages and treatment options to influence their patients'health," they wrote.
They noted that those patients who saw their GP or practice nurse more frequently reported increased overall wellbeing.
The authors concluded that their study showed the value of using absolute risk calculators in primary care to identify patients at greatest CVD risk and reduce their risk factors. In their own study, they used the New Zealand Cardiovascular Risk Calculator.