Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common chronic conditions that primary care doctors treat, yet improving patient outcomes can be challenging for a variety of reasons. Treatment often requires a combination of prescription drugs and lifestyle changes, and patients need to adhere to all treatment recommendations to improve their health.

“There is the medical treatment side and the behaviors side, and the reality for many patients is that they struggle with both,” says Eugene Yang, M.D., FACC, University of Washington School of Medicine and chair-elect of the American College of Cardiology Prevention Section and Leadership Council. “It is across-the-board difficult to have a patient adhere to guidelines for their medications and also adhere to specific lifestyle recommendations that are based on clinical studies.”