Table 1.

Overview of included screening initiatives, performed in an apparently healthy population

	Study name	Country	Age, years	Screening method	Approach	Number eligible	Response rate
McMenamin, 199512	NA	New Zealand	30–69	Eligible males were invited by the doctor when attending the surgery to return for a preventive health check	Opportunistic	361 malesa	79%
Marshall et al, 200811 b	The Sandwell Project	England	35–74	For all patients without known CVD and not currently receiving antihypertensive medication, a Framingham risk score calculation was made with data from medical records. Default risk factor values were used for all missing risk factor data. Those with a risk >20% were mailed an appointment to attend a CVD assessment in their practice	Actively invited, stepwise	11 901; 598 invited for second step	62% of those invited for risk assessment
Van den Donk et al, 200913	IJSCO	Netherlands	20–70	Patients not known to have a diagnosis of CVD, DM, hypertension, or dyslipidaemia received a tape measure mailed to their home and were asked to measure their own WC. Those with an increased WC were invited for further risk assessment	Actively invited, stepwise	11 862; 2004 invited for second step	50% measured their own WC; 86% of those with an increased WC underwent all screening examinations
Godefrooij et al, 20129	NA	Netherlands	40–75	Patients without a diagnosis of CVD, cerebrovascular disease, DM, hypertension, or dyslipidaemia, were asked to return a questionnaire. Based on this questionnaire a risk score was calculated and patients at risk were invited for further risk assessment	Actively invited, stepwise	1704	75% returned questionnaire; 72% of those invited for further risk assessment attended screening
Lambert et al, 201210	The Deadly Trio Programme	England	≥40	Males who were not registered in a disease register for CHD, hypertension, DM, CKD, heart failure, or atrial fibrillation were invited for cardiovascular assessment either by their own GP or an alternative provider	Actively invited	24 166 males	24%

CHD = chronic heart disease. CKD = chronic kidney disease. CVD = cardiovascular disease. DM = diabetes mellitus. NA = not applicable. WC = waist circumference.

^aIn case of an opportunistic approach: the number of eligible people refers to the number of people who attended screening.

^bResults only represent the intervention group.