Only half of US adults have blood pressure levels that are controlled to recommended levels. Home blood pressure monitoring has previously been shown to be a useful adjunct to team-based care for hypertension, and home BP readings can predict cardiovascular risk more accurately than office BP measurements. Recent studies have suggested that a combined approach […]
Tag: primary prevention
Biomarker screening in primary prevention
Risk prediction models are widely used in primary care to identify and initiate therapy in those at risk for future cardiovascular events. While conventional risk factors such as smoking and hypertension are reliably and robustly represented in these models, the value of newer emerging biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen are of uncertain […]
Novel risk markers – CT looks strong
The primary prevention of cardiovascular disease involves classifying individuals according to their global cardiovascular risk. However, those at intermediate risk represent a particular challenge; while some may require aggressive treatment, others may be best managed by lifestyle measures alone. Biomarkers that have shown promise in improving risk discrimination include carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), coronary artery […]
7 ‘Heart Healthy’ Factors Reduce Risk of Death
In recent years an increasing emphasis has been placed on the need for improved primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. To this end, using evidence from clinical trials and epidemiological studies, the American Heart Association (AHA) has suggested seven ideal cardiovascular health behaviours (metrics), including: not smoking; being physically active; having normal blood pressure, blood glucose and […]
JUPITER puts primary prevention into new orbit
Current guidelines recommend statin treatment for patients with known vascular disease, diabetes or elevated lipid levels. Yet half of myocardial infarctions and strokes occur in apparently healthy individuals with levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that are below current threshold levels for treatment. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory biomarker which can […]
Modest benefit from aspirin as primary prevention therapy in diabetics
Although several large trials of aspirin for primary prevention have included diabetic subgroups, no trial has been specifically dedicated to looking at the effects of aspirin in this patient group. […]