Tag Archives: diet

CVD prevention past and present Dr Shahed Ahmad from NHS England addresses the conference The scale of CVD deaths, currently 136,000 per year in the UK1 and similar in number to the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, was highlighted by Dr Shahed Ahmad (NHS England) in his role as National Clinical Director for CVD. He emphasised the importance of tackling CVD as if it were a pandemic. Rather than needing to create vaccines, he said we already have the necessary therapeutics to reduce CVD but these need robust application to our populations. He signposted the CVDPREVENT website2 with its wealth of open access primary care data on metrics, su

Genetic disease The benefits of child-parent screening for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), were explored by Professor David Wald (Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London). Detection rates are highest if FH is screened for in children between one to two years of age – a heel prick test, for example, is quick to carry out at routine immunisation appointments and uptake rates of 84% have been achieved. Screening is effective – a rate of four children and four parents are identified for every 1,000 children screened. The child benefits twice: their

The study, published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, was conducted by a team led by Dr Martin O’Flaherty (University of Liverpool). They note that although the UK has made modest dietary improvements over the past decade, the current goals are “clearly insufficient longer term”. They point out that Denmark banned trans fats in 2004, and many other countries are now also aggressively working to eliminate them. They say that “voluntary agreements” with the processed food industry generally fail, and that further improvements resembling those attained by other countries are achievable through stricter dietary policies

Introduction Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common condition, estimated to affect almost 150,000 people per year in the UK.1 Without effective treatment, the immediate mortality of MI approaches 40% with a further 10% of patients dying in the subsequent year.2 In those who survive the initial post-MI period, an increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes (5% per year) persists indefinitely.2 However, effective secondary prevention measures can significantly reduce this risk.3 An estimated 1.4 million people in the UK have had an MI.4 Reducing morbidity and mortality among this group requires effective secondary prevention measures. In

It all began on Boxing Day last year. Full of yuletide spirit we had descended upon my brother’s home and, in addition to indulging in a general familial ‘catch up’, we were also appraised about the progress of his wife’s diet. Now the paragraphs ahead are not intended to provide a forum in which to debate the need – or otherwise – of such restraint on her part. I was more struck by the results.  Apparently, her simple avoidance of potatoes, rice, pasta and bread was sufficient to produce an impressive loss of poundage. It sounded to me like a slightly modified Atkins diet (reference available upon request), which switches the me

To address the question of increasing engagement with CR programmes in target areas, in 2009, I chaired a Steering Committee convened by Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd. (formerly Solvay Healthcare) called ‘Setting the Standard for Cardiac Rehabilitation’ (START). The Steering Committee advised that the existing Cardiac Networks in each region would be the best forum for disseminating information about changes in CR funding and standards of care in this field. Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd. kindly agreed to organise a series of meetings in the UK, held during 2009 and early 2010, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of CR a

WHO definition The World Health Organization (WHO) defined CR in 1993 in a timeless way that is inclusive and sensitive to the psychosocial, biomedical, professional expertise and service delivery mode and location elements required of a contemporary CR service. “The sum of activities required to influence favourably the underlying cause of the disease so that (people) may by their own efforts preserve, or resume when lost, as normal a place in the community… …it must be integrated within secondary prevention services of which it forms one facet”.3 BACR definition This article reflects on how this definition dovetails with the BACR St

In fact, fewer than half of networks have ever benefited from Patient Choice Revascularisation Pathway monies, which were originally intended to support CR also.2 The START meeting in Birmingham in December 2009 was an opportunity to celebrate the innovative approach undertaken by the West Midlands’ Regional NSF Implementation Group for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention, describing local CR pathway service standards against which West Midlands’ CR programmes could be audited to inform commissioning. The subsequent proportional allocation of ‘Patient Choice’ rehabilitation funding across Birmingham and the Black Country w

The service at Charing Cross was used as the model for EUROACTION, a randomised, controlled trial of a preventive cardiology programme, conducted in eight European countries, including the UK. This nurse-led multidisciplinary programme significantly improved the management of lifestyle and medical risk factors for cardiovascular disease prevention in coronary patients and patients at high multifactorial risk for developing heart disease.1 The principles of the EUROACTION programme were used to found The MyAction community programme, commissioned in 2008 by NHS Westminster as a model for preventive cardiology care for its residents. The Imperi

What is beneficial exercise? A prime question needs to be considered before furthering this discussion: what is meant by beneficial exercise? The benefits of exercise impact on all aspects of health – physiological, psychological and social. A study by Fox (1999) found that short bouts of any activity, even low-intensity activity that may not bring about a significant physiological risk factor change, if it is performed regularly, will provide psychological benefits to self-esteem and self-efficacy, and reductions in anxiety and depression.2 Angina patients engaging in regular walking on a similar premise to that expressed by Fox show signi