The NOR-COR (NORwegian CORonary) Study: Identification of CHD Patients With Poor Adherence to Secondary Prevention and Their Perceived Needs for Follow-up

The NOR-COR study is a cross-sectional, observational study designed to explore a large number of cardiovascular, inflammatory, genetic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors (including anxiety, depression, quality of life) in 1369 patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD) hospitalized in the Sections for Cardiology at the hospitals in Drammen (n=722) and Vestfold (n=647). Study data from an extensive questionnaire, clinical and laboratory data, and sputum/saliva for genetic analyses will be collected.

The main overall aim of the NOR-COR study is to develop new strategies to improve secondary prevention for underserved high risk patient-groups with CHD. The first study phase aims to collect information necessary to develop empirically based future secondary coronary prevention interventions. In a genetic sub-project markers associated with CHD and personality type will be explored.

The study will evaluate current secondary preventive programs and explore the mechanisms that link behavioral, psychosocial, inflammatory, and genetic factors to poor prognosis. The study will in short term provide new knowledge potentially useful for increasing participation in current cardiac rehabilitation/secondary preventive programs. For a longer perspective these associations may be useful for design of new intervention programs to selected high risk patient groups whom may be in need of programs with different content and/or of longer duration than those currently being applied.