Community Prevention and Control of Cardiovascular Diseases : Report of a WHO Expert Committee, meeting held in a Geneva from 10 to 17 December 1984

The problems -- Principles of prevention -- Specific inventions for coronary heart disease and hypertension -- Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease -- Implementation of cardiovascular disease prevention programmes in the community -- The role of government -- The role of non governmental organizations -- Evaluating progress -- The economic implications of cardiovascular diseases and their prevention -- Conclusions and recommendations

Sets forth principles and recommendations of prime importance in formulating national or regional plans to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Emphasis is paced on strategies for altering the life-style and behaviour of populations in countries with a high standard of living. The report argues for the adoption of a population approach as the most effective strategy for correcting the underlying causes of disease. Coverage ranges from an explanation of husbandry systems that encourage the production of fatty meats to the role of mass media in community-based health education programmes. Other sections detail the specific areas, such as nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, blood pressure control, obesity, and oral contraceptives, where interventions could be effective in reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease