Cardiovascular diseases

Prescribing dilemmas: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for heart failure in an older patient

The fourth article of our new prescribing dilemmas series, exploring real-world dilemmas that pharmacist prescribers encounter in clinical practice.…

How a GP referral scheme improved hypertension detection in community pharmacy

Primary care pharmacist Gurvinder Najran shares the outcomes from an initiative in Dudley, West Midlands, aimed at improving hypertension detection by referring patients from general practice to community pharmacy.…

GPs back proposal to scrap community pharmacy blood pressure checks

The motion aimed to address community pharmacies’ unfair expectation to seek funding from schemes such as blood pressure checks “due to underfunding of their core national contract”.…

Nearly 92% of atrial fibrillation patients in England anticoagulated, says NHS adviser

The UK Health Security Agency has achieved the figure five years ahead of its original 2029 target year by offering anticoagulation to nine in ten patients with atrial fibrillation.…

BMA conference considers proposal to scrap community pharmacy blood pressure checks

The motion proposed by the Devon Local Medical Committee describes “wastefulness” of money spent on pharmacy blood pressure checks, which it says should instead fund pharmacy dispensing fees.…

Statin prescribing in England at record high, show NICE data

Figures show that atorvastatin prescribing increased from 4.2 million people in 2022/2023 to 5.0 million people in 2023/2024.…

Test your knowledge of cardiovascular disease

This CPD and learning quiz can help you assess your knowledge of cardiovascular disease and related health issues.…

Pharmacist-led cardiovascular disease interventions provide highest return on investment, says NHS report

The report measured return on investment over five years of a range of interventions, including smoking cessation, cardiovascular disease and substance abuse.…

Cardiac chest pain: identification, referral and management in primary care

Chest discomfort is a common symptom with several possible causes. This article outlines how pharmacists can differentiate symptoms and identify when patients are likely to be experiencing myocardial ischaemia.…

Lipid-lowering therapies for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in primary care

An overview of updated guidance relating to the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease can be applied in practice, considering the availability of newer medications.…