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Cardiovascular disease

Below you will find the latest clinical articles covering . Primary care nurses are at the forefront of and need to stay abreast of all the latest practice and treatment updates as their interaction with patients continuously evolves.

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Hypertension – what’s new from NICE’s updated guidance?

Beverley Bostock-Cox looks at the latest guidelines on the management of this condition

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Primary care management following an acute myocardial infarction

David Warriner and Mohanned Al-Matok explain how to treat a patient who has returned from acute care

Hypertension – the present and the future for diagnosis

Beverly Bostock-Cox details developments in the diagnosis and management of this common condition

Latest clinical research

Mark Greener presents key studies published in healthcare journals

Infections trigger heart attacks

Several studies link respiratory tract infections with an increased risk of myocardial infarction

Beginning statin therapy

With correct assessment, statins are effective preventors of cardiovascular disease, writes Dr Suneeta Kochhar

Varenicline is effective in smoking cessation – if patients adhere

Varenicline combined with behavioural support helps about half of smokers to quit, new Spanish research suggests

Prediabetes increases cardiovascular risk

Essentially, prediabetes refers to fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels that are higher than normal, but are not elevated sufficiently for a diagnosis of diabetes

Heart failure in primary care

Prognosis has improved but 40% of patients die within a year, writes Suneeta Kochhar

Cardiovascular disease in men: An overview for primary care nurses

David Warriner explains risk factors, physiological signs, and why heart disease tends to affect men younger

Abdominal aortic aneurysms

Awareness, monitoring and management explained by Leanne Atkin, Michael van Orsouw and Emma Bond

Supporting heart health with exercise

It is crucial for nurses to educate patients on the cardiovascular benefits of exercise

Atrial fibrillation: An update

This form of cardiac arrhythmia may cause as many as 12,500 strokes each year

Peripheral arterial disease

This underdiagnosed condition is explained by Leanne Atkin, Michael van Orsouw and Emma Bond

The importance of gender in CVD

Women are more likely to have heart attacks with atypical symptoms, explains Hannah Waterhouse.

Saturated fats' link to CVD questioned

For decades, nurses told people to eat less saturated fat to lower their risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Benefits of post-Myocardial Infarction adherence

Poor adherence to certain cardioprotective drugs – including aspirin and statins – 'is associated with a marked risk increase in all-cause mortality' among people who survived acute myocardial infarction, according to a study that enrolled 4655 patients with a mean age of 66.3 years.

Statin prescribing and diabetes

A recent guideline underlines the importance of statins in preventing cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes, explains David Morris.

COPD increases sudden cardiac death risk

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with approximately 30% increase in the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), according to a Dutch study that enrolled 13,471 people aged at least 45 years.

Sex and drugs and CVD

Some commonly prescribed drugs influence sexual activity, according to a survey of 224 people with cardiovascular disease published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practioners.

Easy screen for CVD risk in mentally ill

Patients with psychiatric disorders are especially likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD), which seems to be the main reason underlying their shorter life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years.

Loss of smell predicts death

Being unable to identify scents predicts the risk of dying in the next five years more strongly than heart failure, cancer or lung disease, new research shows.

Contraception in women with heart conditions

New guidance on contraception in women with heart conditions has been released, writes Suneeta Kochhar

PMR-CVD link

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) - which causes pain, stiffness and inflammation in muscles in the shoulders, neck and hips - affects 2.4% of women and 1.7% of men. About one-in-five PMR patients develop giant cell arteritis (also called temporal arteritis), which can cause inflammation in arteries supplying the head or neck. Now research has suggested that PMR increases cardiovascular risk, especially among younger patients.

Erectile problems and cardiovascular disease

An insight and understanding of the condition, associated risk factors and treatment is necessary to provide effective care, writes Ian Peate.

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Cardiovascular disease

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