Achievements of primary prevention targets in individuals with high risk of cardiovascular disease: an 8-year follow-up of the Tromsø study.

We found an overall improvement in CVD risk factors among high-risk individuals over 8 years. However, guideline-based treatment target achievement was relatively low for all risk factors except smoking. Medication use was the strongest characteristic associated with achieving treatment targets. This study has demonstrated that primary prevention of CVD continues to remain a major challenge.