Background and Aims: Knowledge of quantifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk may improve health outcomes and trigger behavioural change in patients or clinicians. This review aimed to investigate the impact of CVD risk communication on patient-perceived CVD risk and changes in CVD risk factors. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched from inception to 6 June 2023, supplemented by citation analysis. Randomized trials that compared any CVD risk communication strategy versus usual care were included. Paired reviewers independently screened the identified records and extracted the data; disagreements were resolved by a third author. The primary outcome was the accuracy of risk perception. Secondary outcomes were clinician-reported changes in CVD risk, psychological responses, intention to modify lifestyle, and self-reported changes in risk factors and clinician prescribing of preventive medicines. Results: Sixty-two trials were included. Accuracy of risk perception was higher among intervention participants (odds ratio = 2.31, 95% confidence interval = 1.63 to 3.27). A statistically significant improvement in overall CVD risk scores was found at 6–12 months (mean difference = −0.27, 95% confidence interval = −0.45 to −0.09). For primary prevention, risk communication significantly increased self-reported dietary modification (odds ratio = 1.50, 95% confidence interval = 1.21 to 1.86) with no increase in intention or actual changes in smoking cessation or physical activity. A significant impact on patients’ intention to start preventive medication was found for primary and secondary prevention, with changes at follow-up for the primary prevention group. Conclusions: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, communicating CVD risk information, regardless of the method, reduced the overall risk factors and enhanced patients’ self-perceived risk. Communication of CVD risk to patients should be considered in routine consultations.

Community-based exercise programs for older adults play a potentially important role in mitigating the decline in functional outcomes, body composition, psychosocial outcomes, and cardiovascular health outcomes that commonly occurs with advancing age. There is a limited understanding of the characteristics and effectiveness of community-based exercise programs, particularly when those programs are offered outside metropolitan areas. Rural/regional settings face unique challenges, such as limited access to equipment/resources, transportation, and services, as well as significant costs to run programs. The objective of this scoping review was to characterise studies in the field that have aimed to implement community-based programs in settings identified as rural / regional. A secondary aim was to establish guidance for future exercise programs in this setting and highlight future research directions. A total of 12 studies were conducted in settings identified as rural/regional areas in various countries across the world were included. Of the included studies, five were randomised controlled trials. The majority of included studies reported on functional outcomes (83%) and psychosocial outcomes (75%), yet only 42% reported body composition, 17% reported cardiovascular health and 17% reported dietary outcomes. Low male representation was observed, with women outnumbering men in 7 of 12 studies. There was also minimal investigation of qualitative outcomes in existing community-based exercise programs in rural/regional settings, presenting a key gap for future research to address. Study Protocol: https://osf.io/txpm3/. Date of registration: 20 July 2020.

Background: Health inequalities for Indigenous people and culturally diverse patients or remote area dwellers are well established. Models of care such as telehealth might have the potential to reduce the disparity of access to health services for Indigenous and culturally diverse ethnic groups.