802-2 Cardiovascular Risk Factors Levels and Changes Following Lifestyle Intervention In Families: The British Family Heart Study

2373 families were recruited to a national randomised controlled trial of cardiovascular screening and lifestyle intervention in 26 general practices in 13 towns across Britain, 2054 (87%) comprised both a male and female partner and amongst these 1477 (72%) were represented at screening by both partners. There was a significant association between reported cigarette smoking habits in partners (odds ratio 6.1 95% Cl 4.6, 8.0) at baseline. Where both partners were initially smokers, men were 5 times and women were 10 times (p<0.05) more likely to have quit where their partner had also quit. Body mass index (BMI) measurements were correlated (r=0.21, p<0.0001) at baseline and one year changes in BMI in partners were also significantly correlated (r=0.20, p<0.0001). Similar results were found for systolic blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose cross-sectionally (r=0.14, 0.10, 0.13 respectively, p<0.0005) and longitudinally (r=0.14, 0.24, 0.19 respectively, p<0.0001). Whilst the cross sectional inter-partner relationships are weak the longitudinal results demonstrate the scope for cardiovascular intervention programmes to capitalize on the tendency of partners to change together. Men and women most able to improve their risk factor profile over a one year period tend to have partners who also improve substantially. Therefore, for lifestyle intervention programmes in middle aged men and women, targeting a couple together rather than as individual patients may result in a greater reduction in cardiovascular risk factors through mutual reinforcement of lifestyle changes