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■ Studies evaluating primary prevention activities targeted at cardiovascular event or risk reduction, i.e., prevention of the disease before it occurs for the first time;
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■ Objective: Screening for and modification of risk factors for primary cardiovascular events;
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■ Population: Persons at increased risk but without evidence of cardiovascular disease;
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■ Endpoints: Cardiovascular outcomes/events or modified risk factor;
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Formal features:
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■ Full economic evaluation, i.e., comparative analysis of costs and outcomes of at least two alternatives;
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■ Applied study (trial generating primary data or modelling of secondary data). Methodological and general articles, letters and abstracts were excluded;
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■ Assessment of, or application to the US, Canadian or European health care systems;
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■ Journal articles, i.e., exclusion of books, HTA reports, grey literature;
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■ Published between 1995–2005.
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