Ethical dilemmas arising from implementation of the European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practiceA descriptive epidemiological study

Abstract

Implementation of the 2003 European guidelines on CVD prevention would label a large majority of Norwegian adults as having unfavourably high cholesterol and/or blood pressure levels. The current biomedical standards appear to invalidate demographic health statistics. The theoretical basis on which the guidelines rest should thereby be scrutinized with regard to scientific methodology and consistency. Important ethical dilemmas arise at the point of guideline implementation, relating to risk labelling and medicalization, as well as resource allocation and sustainability within the healthcare system.