Teaching preventive cardiology: The consultation clinic

Atherosclerotic heart disease is the principal cause of death in the United States and other industrial societies. Three major risk factors for developing coronary artery disease (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking) are frequently seen in family practice patients. It is therefore important for family physicians to be able to assess an individual patient's overall heart disease risk and provide advice and counseling to reduce that risk. This article describes a teaching-consultation clinic in which family practice residents learn to assess cardiac risk in patients and develop counseling skills to manage that risk. The role of the family physician in relation to the cardiologist is also discussed.