Effect of a telephone-delivered coronary heart disease secondary prevention program (ProActive Heart) on quality of life and health behaviours: primary outcomes of a randomised controlled trial

Background Participation in coronary heart disease secondary prevention programs is low. Innovative programs to meet this treatment gap are required.

Purpose To aim of this study is to describe the effectiveness of a telephone-delivered secondary prevention program for myocardial infarction patients.

Methods Four hundred and thirty adult myocardial infarction patients in Brisbane, Australia were randomised to a 6-month secondary prevention program or usual care. Primary outcomes were health-related quality of life (Short Form-36) and physical activity (Active Australia Survey).

Results Significant intervention effects were observed for health-related quality of life on the mental component summary score (p = 0.02), and the social functioning (p = 0.04) and role-emotional (p = 0.03) subscales, compared with usual care. Intervention participants were also more likely to meet recommended levels of physical activity (p = 0.02), body mass index (p = 0.05), vegetable intake (p = 0.04) and alcohol consumption (p = 0.05).

Conclusions Telephone-delivered secondary prevention programs can significantly improve health outcomes and could meet the treatment gap for myocardial infarction patients.

Use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for study of CO2 corrosion prevention by batch treatment inhibitor films

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to study and evaluate commercial batch treatment inhibitors which are used for protecting oil wells, gas wells, and pipelines from CO2 corrosion, focusing on the evaluation of inhibitor film persistency. It was found that theformation and deterioration of batch treatment inhibitor films were accompanied by typical impedance spectral changes. During the formation of inhibitor films, electrode impedance showed a rapid increase and the Bode phase angle plots also showed a sudden change. Thus, the formation of inhibitor film was a very fast process. During the deterioration of inhibitor films, electrode impedance showed a gradual decrease and the Bode phase angle plots showed changes which characterised the three stages of the inhibitor film deterioration process. The relationships between EIS and corrosion rate are discussed, including comparisons with weight loss measurements. Based on the experimental findings in the present work, a method is suggested for estimating the persistency of inhibitor films by monitoring the characteristic changes in the Bode phase angle plots and by measuring electrochemical charge transfer resistance at the second and third stages of the inhibitor film deterioration process.