Opportunistic Community Screening IDs Uncontrolled Cardiovascular Risk Factors
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2025 -- Opportunistic pop-up community screening identifies a high prevalence of uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study published online Aug. 15 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology to coincide with the annual meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, held from Aug. 14 to 17 in Brisbane, Australia.
Sean Tan, M.B.B.S., from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues conducted a prospective, observational study during a seven-week period using a participant-operated health station to examine an opportunistic pop-up approach to community screening for cardiovascular risk. Stations, which recorded demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, medical history, and engagement with health care, were placed in 311 community pharmacies and a stadium during an international sporting event.
A total of 76,085 participants were screened: 89.8 and 10.2 percent at pharmacies and the sporting event, respectively. The researchers found that 68.9 percent of participants met the primary outcome of prevalence of an uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factor: 37.2, 60.5, and 12.1 percent had elevated blood pressure readings, had elevated body mass index, and were smokers, respectively. Compared with pharmacies, higher rates of the primary outcome were seen at the sporting event. In rural pharmacy locations and during weekday and daytime screening, increased rates of uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors were observed among community pharmacy participants.
"Heart health checks in the community can identify risk factors for future heart disease that can be managed by lifestyle changes or early preventive medications and save lives down the road," senior author Stephen J. Nicholls, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., also from Monash University, said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry and SiSU Health, which funded the study.
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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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Posted August 2025
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