There are several different drug types used in the management of hypertension. This back to basics provides a useful summary of the different antihypertensive drug classes and how they act to regulate blood pressure.
Back to Basics: Antihypertensives
Back to Basics: Heart failure medication
A number of drug classes are used in the treatment of patients with heart failure. This illustrated Back to Basics infographic describes the various drugs and their mechanisms of action to give health care professionals and their patients a greater understanding of heart failure management.
An audit in general practice – Getting a GRASP on heart failure
This audit was carried out using the GRASP-HF audit tool developed by PRIMIS designed to help busy practices achieve a systematic approach to the identification, diagnosis and management of patients with HF.
Freedom from failure – The F word
Nobody likes to talk about failure. We hide from it, shy away from it. Society demands positivity. And so, we do not necessarily take the time or put the effort into learning from failure. Heart Failure is a misunderstood and misdiagnosed condition, as malignant as some of the most common cancers, it should be treated with […]
Impact on mental health – From celebratory ‘Year of the Nurse’ to COVID-19 in 2020
How can nurses be better mental health advocates for their patients and colleagues during the pandemic? 2020 was designated by the World Health Organisation as the inaugural International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role nurses play in caring for the mental health of their patients and communities. This article […]
Case study: The hypertensive patient
Working with patients who are not willing to engage fully with healthcare services is a common occurrence. The process requires patience and a focus on providing the patient with full information about their condition and then allowing them to make decisions about their treatment. Here, Dr Terry McCormack (GP and Cardiovascular Lead, North Yorks) describes the approach of his practice to a man with hypertension.
Atrial fibrillation: A closer look
What is AF? Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disturbance and affects over 33 million people worldwide. Atrial fibrillation or AF occurs when chaotic electrical activity develops in the upper chambers or atria, and completely takes over from the sinus node. As a result, the atria no longer beat in an organised […]
Advice for patients taking ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and coronavirus infection
It has been suggested Hypertension (high blood pressure) may be associated with increased risk of death in hospitalised Coronavirus infected subjects. On non-medical social media sites and some newspapers it has been suggested that commonly used drugs ACEi (ending in ‘pril” e.g. ramipril, lisinopril, perindopril) and ARBs (ending in ‘sartan’ e.g. losartan, candesartan, valsartan) may […]
Helping older adults to stay independent for longer
The role of nutrition and exercise in maintaining muscle mass, strength and function pre and post falls and fractures. With an ageing population, strategies that help older adults to maintain their independence for longer are increasingly important.
A UK consensus on optimising CVD secondary prevention care: Perspectives from multidisciplinary team members
Although overall CV mortality has declined in recent years, patients with clinically manifest CVD remain at increased risk of recurrent CV events. A group of HCPs at UK primary and secondary care centres have recently developed a consensus statement to improve delivery of secondary prevention in the UK.
Practical tools for CVD prevention: The CVD return on investment tool
In 2017 the University of Sheffield was commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) to develop a new return on investment (ROI) tool for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, to be used by national and local decision-makers. The tool focuses on prevention of CVD in six key high-risk groups, identified through the NHS RightCare pathway as being currently underdiagnosed and insufficiently well managed. This includes patients with hypertension, diabetes (type 1 and type 2), non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease and high cholesterol (the latter including patients with a QRISK2 score ≥ 10% or familial hypercholesterolaemia).
Practical tools for CVD prevention: The NHS RightCare AF high impact intervention tool
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention has been highlighted by the Next Steps on the Five Year Forward View as a key priority for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). An important area of focus is improving the management of high-risk conditions for CVD, such as atrial fibrillation (AF). In response to this escalating healthcare priority, Imperial College Health Partners have developed the new AF High Impact Intervention Tool in collaboration with NHS RightCare, as part of their CVD Prevention Pathway.
