A randomised controlled trial of senior Lay Health Mentoring in older people with ischaemic heart disease: The Braveheart Project.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE: to examine the effects and feasibility of educating and empowering older people with ischaemic heart disease using trained senior lay health mentors. DESIGN: randomised controlled trial with blinded evaluation. SETTING: Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary. Participants: inpatients and outpatients aged 60 or over attending secondary care with a diagnosis of angina or acute myocardial infarction. Three-hundred and nineteen entered and 289 completed exit assessments. The intervention group took part in mentoring groups for 1 year, meeting monthly for 2 hours, each led by two trained lay health mentors in addition to standard care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: primary outcome measures were changes in coronary risk factors, medication usage and actual use of secondary care health services. Secondary outcomes were total and cardiovascular events; changes in medication compliance, non-medical support requirement, health status and psychological functioning, and social inclusion. RESULTS: there were significant improvements in a reported current exercise score (mean +0.33, +0.02 to +0.52), in the average time spent walking per week by 72 minutes (+1 to +137 minutes), and in the SF36 Physical Functioning Score (+6.1, +2.4 to +9.5). There was a 1.0% reduction in total fat (95% CI -3.0% to -0.6%) and a 0.6% reduction in saturated fat (95% CI -1.5% to -0.03%). The intervention group showed reduced outpatient attendance for coronary heart disease (-0.25 appointments, -0.61 to -0.08). Attendance rates were high. Socio-economic grouping did not affect participation. CONCLUSIONS: Lay Health Mentoring is feasible, practical and inclusive, positively influencing diet, physical activity, and health resource utilisation in older subjects with ischaemic heart disease without causing harm.

Author information

Author/s: Coull, Andrew J (AJ); Taylor, Valerie H (VH); Elton, Rob (R); Murdoch, Peter S (PS); Hargreaves, Allister D (AD);

Affiliation: Stroke Prevention Research Unit, Department of Clinical Neurology, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, UK.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Age and ageing (Age Ageing), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2004-Jul; vol 33 (issue 4) : pp 348-54

Dates: Created 2004/06/30; Completed 2004/11/02; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 15136288, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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