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Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally , representing 30% of all deaths worldwide. Recently, the social and economic costs, including medical expenses, incurred due to an increase in the incidence of heart diseases have increased considerably. The aim of this study is to provide a critical and comprehensive overview of the published systematic review evidence related to the role of educational programs on cardiovascular diseases in the improvement of health outcomes, and to conduct a rapid assessment of the existing systematic reviews for the evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of counseling programs in clinical settings. A search of the existing systematic reviews published between January 2000 and April 2013 was conducted using electronic databases. Nine studies were eligible for inclusion in our systematic review analysis. Two researcher s independently extracted data and assessed study quality using Assessment of M ultiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), a validated tool for assessing the quali ty of systematic reviews. All systematic reviews had AMSTAR scores of >5 and were considered in detail. In the case of coronary heart disease, we found that a reduction in the mortality rate improved the quality of life in the long-term. However, it was difficult to determine the conclusions of studies related to the development of cardiovascular diseases. There was insufficient evidence that the educational programs for patients with heart failure were clinically effective in the reduction of health outcomes and mortality, and the improvement of the quality of life . This overview of existing systematic reviews revealed a relative lack of evid ence supporting prevention practices or the cost-effectiveness of counseling programs for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, we can conclude that further research is required in many fields to help determine the effectiveness of educational programs and counseling as part of the overall strategy for a reduction of medical costs, and that there is a need to collect data to inform policy-making.
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