RATIONALE Controlling cardiovascular risk factors has been proven to be effective in prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nonetheless, significant treatment gaps have been demonstrated repeatedly in numerous surveys. A recent study of Canadian adults filling prescriptions for hypertension or dyslipidemia demonstrated that the majority remained overweight and sedentary despite being at risk of developing CVD. Medication adherence has been shown to be poor with up to 50% of patients stopping therapy after one year.