Calls for 24-hour blood pressure monitoring

Source: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

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Date of publication: August 2011

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: NICE is now recommending that hypertension should be diagnosed using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) over a 24 hour period. ABPM involves a mobile blood pressure monitor that straps around the patient’s waist and measures blood pressure numerous times over 24 hours. This is a change to the existing guidelines.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

British Cardiovascular Society Commissioning Pack

Source: British Cardiovascular Society

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Date of publication: July 2011

Publication type: Resources

In a nutshell: A resource pack provided by the British Cardiovascular Society to serve as a guide on commissioning cardiac services which can be used as an aid for decision-making.

Length of publication: 12 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Effectiveness-based guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Source: Circulation, 2011, 123 (11) p.1243-1262

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Date of publication: March 2011

Publication type: Practice guidelines

In a nutshell: The 2011 update of these guidelines published by the American Heart Association include therapies that have been shown to have sufficient evidence of clinical benefit for cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The recommendations prioritise lifestyle approaches to the prevention of CVD and the most cost-effective strategies. The panel acknowledge that difficulty adhering to lifestyle and medical recommendations limits effectiveness so there is a new section on guideline implementation.

Length of publication: 20 pages

Some important notes: You will need an NHS Athens username and password to access this article. Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: American Heart Association

New guidelines propose regular heart checks for all Scots over 40

Source: Herald Scotland, 29th April 2010

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Date of publication: April 2010

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: Guidelines launched in Scotland last month specify that all patients aged 40 and over should be invited to have their blood pressure tested every five years. The standards also state that GPs should check whether their patients are smokers every two years. The manadatory guidelines focus on preventing heart disease, but patients who have developed heart disease will also be given a variety of options to help improve their health under the new standard of care.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: National Heart Forum

Cardiovascular risk estimation and eligibility for statins in primary prevention comparing different strategies

Source: American Journal of Cardiology, 2009, 103 (8) p. 1089-1095

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Date of publication: April, 2009

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Risk of coronary heart disease and eligibilty for statins were assessed in a population-based study of patients without cardiovascular disease. Guidelines from various European associations were used, and the results were compared.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

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