PC SHOP: An intervention study to improve food shopping and prevent cardiovascular disease among patients in primary care

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart attacks and strokes, is the leading cause of death in the UK and is strongly influenced by diet. Eating too much saturated fat increases the amount of ‘bad’ LDL-cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Previous studies have shown that reducing the intake of saturated fat (mostly fats from animal sources such as butter or meat), by swapping some foods for others that are lower in saturated fat, can lead to big reductions in the amount of LDL-cholesterol. However, these studies have achieved success either by giving specific foods to people or by providing intensive support and advice from nutrition specialists.

The aim of this study is to develop and test the feasibility of a new intervention, involving brief oral and written advice from a health professional at the GP practice together with regular information on the saturated fat content of food purchases.