Tag Archives: prevention

What is motivational interviewing? Motivational interviewing is a counselling approach that proposes collaborative communication between the clinician and the client, where the commitment towards behaviour change is strengthened.1-3 The European Society of Cardiology recommended using motivational interviewing and graded this counselling style as class 1 level A in supporting lifestyle risk modification.4 The practice of motivational interviewing involves using basic interaction skills and techniques such as open questions, affirmation, reflective listening and summary reflections (OARS).3 By asking open questions, the clinician invites the c

Currently, UK, US and World Health Organization (WHO) aerobic guidelines all advocate at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in at least 10-minute bouts for adults and older adults,1,5,6 though the bout requirement is currently under debate,6 and even small amounts of physical activity provide protective health benefits. Walking is by far the most common physical activity, a brisk pace (approximately 3 mph, 5 km/hr) counts as MVPA, and walking is considered a ‘near-perfect’ exercise, with ability to gradually increase frequency and intensity with low risk of harm, while encouraging environmental sust

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This emphasis on short-term risk means the long-term consequences of modifiable risk factors may be overlooked. Age and male gender are currently the biggest drivers of risk, said Professor John Deanfield (Chair of JBS3 and British Heart Foundation Chair of Cardiology at UCL, London) at a launch event for the JBS3 recommendations. Treatment has favoured elderly men, with risk calculators disenfranchising the young, especially women, he added. The report, which the British Cardiovascular Society calls “an evolution in CVD prevention,” supports intensive management of people at high lifetime risk for CVD. Its message that early inte

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Promoting cardiovascular health is central to the national strategy to reduce premature mortality in our population. In this supplement, we offer a new approach to cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention through the MyAction preventive cardiology programme, developed by Imperial College London. This nurse-led, multi-disciplinary, family-centred service embraces all patients with atherosclerotic disease – coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral arterial disease – together with those identified through Health Checks to be at high risk of developing CVD in one community-based programme. In this supplement, we describe the studies that

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