Heartbeat: Managing cardiovascular disease as a family of diseases in the community

Although at least 80% of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is potentially preventable by the elimination of health risk behaviours, implementation of effective, large scale and sustainable CVD prevention programs is still a challenge. In this issue of Heart, Connolly et al1 describe an experience in which patients at high risk of or with established CVD underwent a 12 week community-based nurse-led prevention programme called My Action (figure 1) which included lifestyle and risk factor management, prescription of medication and weekly exercise and education sessions. The programme is in accordance to recent British recommendations that CVD should be managed as a family of diseases in the community. The study was conducted in Westminster, a culturally and socioeconomically diverse borough in central London. Over a 6 year period, 3232 patients attended an initial assessment, 63% were male and 48% belonged to black and minority ethnic groups; 56% attended an end...
Source: Heart - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Heartbeat Source Type: research