MINNEAPOLIS, June 9, 2008—The Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) has issued a new guideline on Primary Prevention of Chronic Disease Risk Factors.

This guidelines outlines the existing evidence for the effectiveness of strategies and programs designed to help adult patients successfully make essential changes to achieve healthier lifestyles (increased physical activity, improved nutrition, decreased tobacco use and exposure, decreased hazardous and harmful drinking/alcohol use).

It also outlines how these programs might be integrated into preventive services in health care systems, which traditionally have focused on early detection of disease or treatment of risk factors rather than preventing the onset of risk factors.

Algorithms are provided for:

• Primary prevention of chronic disease risk factors (main algorithm)
• Increased physical activity decision tree
• Improved nutrition decision tree,
• Decreased tobacco use and exposure decision tree, and
• Decreased hazardous and harmful drinking/alcohol use decision tree. 

More information on the new guidelines is available here.