Risk reduction in the U.S. Air Force primary prevention HEART program

Abstract

The United States Air Force (USAF) is developing a preventive cardiology program, the Health Evaluation and Risk Tabulation (HEART) program. This article describes the goals and methods of the HEART program's Risk Reduction Component (RRC), which is to assist high-risk active-duty USAF personnel to modify specific health behaviors associated with arteriosclerotic disease: cigarette smoking, and food patterns high in calories from fat and exogenous cholesterol. Also, education is offered to confirmed hyptertensives, whose pharmacological treatment is provided by the base medical facility. The RRC strategy is being tested at two air bases, Pease, New Hampshire, and Charleston, South Carolina. Designated airmen are invited to participate in RRC on these bases after notification of their risk status. Voluntary participation is encouraged at two levels: orientation sessions: and at subsequent focal groups in smoking cessation and/or food pattern modification. Focal groups emphasize techniques of self-management in smoking cessation and eating behavior, including post-treatment maintenance behavior for long-term risk reduction.