Tag Archives: cardiovascular disease

Introduction Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a single family of diseases with common antecedents requiring a holistic approach to prevention. This is the central theme of the new cardiovascular outcomes strategy for NHS England.1 Atherosclerosis is ubiquitous in the population, manifesting itself in different ways – acute coronary syndromes, transient cerebral ischaemia or claudication – but linked by a common pathology and underlying causes in terms of lifestyle and related risk factors. Many with one expression of this disease commonly suffer from another, and yet each is managed in silos of care through cardiology, stroke and vascul

The main objective of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation in clinical practice is to reduce the risk of future vascular events, to improve quality of life and increase life expectancy. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recommended by the British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR).1 This second edition of the Standards and Core Components (SCC) for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation from the BACPR, define CR through seven standards and seven core components for assuring a quality service of care using a multi-disciplinary biological and psychosocial approach.2 However, the implementatio

Background Statins are first choice for treatment of dyslipidaemia in both secondary and primary cardiovascular disease prevention. For every 1.0 mmol/L reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C), the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality decreases by 19% and overall mortality decreases by 12%.1 Despite statin treatment, a substantial number of cardiovascular events still occur, and one reason may be persistent lipid abnormalities including total cholesterol and LDL-C not at target, or low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or elevated triglycerides. Results from the DYSlipidaemia International Stu

The programme is implemented according to national evidence-based guidelines and local policies. The programme integrates primary and secondary prevention in one programme and recruits all those who will benefit the most, i.e. patients with vascular disease, those at high risk of developing disease, and the close family members of the above, and takes into account the groups in which the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors is the highest. The programme is family centred and so recruits the spouse and/or others close to the patient in order to maximise the potential for adoption of positive healthy behaviours. Wherever possib

MyAction Westminster: background In response to the Department of Health (DoH) policy document Putting Prevention First,1 NHS Westminster launched its Health Checks programme in primary care in 2009. The MyAction Westminster programme was concomitantly commissioned by NHS Westminster so that those individuals identified to be at high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk through the Health Checks could access, with their families, an effective vascular prevention programme that would help them achieve measurably healthier lives. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust were successful in becoming the providers of the programme with an annual budget

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the single most common cause of death in Ireland, with diseases of the circulatory system accounting for 33.5% of deaths.1 While there has been a significant decline in death rates over the last 30 years, CVD mortality rates in Ireland remain high in comparison with European averages.2 There is compelling evidence that managing risk factors through lifestyle intervention and cardioprotective drug management can reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality by up to 90%.3 In Ireland, high-risk approaches to prevention have traditionally targeted those with established heart disease, yet there are many

Introduction The scientific evidence for cardiovascular (CVD) disease prevention is compelling but, as demonstrated by the EUROASPIRE and ASPIRE-2-PREVENT surveys, translating this evidence into effective patient care in the real-world in clinical practice is challenging.1,2 However, the same academic group have undertaken a number of trials and have shown that it is possible to implement national and international clinical guidelines and achieve the lifestyle, medical and therapeutic targets associated with reduced cardiovascular events and improved health outcomes.3-5 In recognising the need to bridge the implementation gap for prevention a

The heart is extensively described in multiple Qur’anic verses and prophetic traditions as both an organ of psyche, intelligence and emotion, as well as an important organ that can be harmed by several factors.2 The prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH), stated: “Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it remains healthy the whole body becomes healthy, and if it is diseased, the whole body becomes diseased. Beware, it is the heart”.3 This tradition holds true if taken either literally or spiritually. Fasting Ramadan and performing Hajj (Pilgrim) may pose problems to patients with cardiovascular disease, hence, it is import

Heart failure The recommendations on devices, drugs and diagnosis in heart failure were developed by the ESC in collaboration with a heart failure association of the ESC. There have been several major updates since the previous guidance published in 2008.  The new updates include: In devices, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been hailed as a step change in the management of heart failure. LVADs are more reliable and lead to fewer complications than in 2008. Until now, LVADs have been used as a temporary measure in patients awaiting a heart transplant. Professor John McMurray (Glasgow, UK), chairperson of the ESC Clinical Practice

EVINCI study completed The prevalence of “significant” coronary artery disease in patients with chest pain symptoms is lower than expected in Europe, according to preliminary findings from the The EValuation of INtegrated Cardiac Imaging (EVINCI) study. Once the final analysis is completed, the EVINCI study is expected to demonstrate that performing adequate non-invasive imaging screening of patients with suspected coronary artery disease could safely avoid invasive procedures in 75 out of 100 patients.  The study will have sufficient power to answer the question of which is the most cost-effective non-invasive imaging strategy for the j