Dementia is a term used to describe a syndrome that can be caused by several illnesses, but the result is a decline in a person’s abilities to function socially, mentally and in relation to the everyday activities of living. The condition is having an increasing impact on individuals, families and care services as the UK population ages. However, practice nurses can help make the experience of living with dementia more positive for the patient and their families or carers.
British Heart Foundation – new support for practice nurses
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is often seen as an organisation focused on patients. This is true, but along with major research, supporting healthcare professionals is also a vital part of our role. In the past we have worked mainly with specialists in secondary care, but now we are re-focusing our attention. For the first time, we are supporting primary healthcare professionals with education and training.
A primary care guide to chronic liver disease
Chronic liver disease is a problem for all of us. It develops silently, often taking many years to cause sufficient damage to be detectable or cause signs or symptoms for which a patient would seek attention. Primary care has a central role in improving the prevention and early detection of chronic liver disease. This special […]
Chronic kidney disease: the no tears review
Many drugs are cleared from the body by the kidneys, so careful medicines management is especially important in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This article explains how to ensure CKD patients receive recommended therapies designed to protect their kidneys and reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke.
On the beat: Controlling heart rate in angina and heart failure
Controlling heart rate is a key element of good care of patients with angina or heart failure. In this article we explore the benefit of effective heart rate control to reduce hospitalisation and alleviate symptoms. Measuring heart rate is simple, and can provide valuable benefits for many patients.
Editorial 2 – If I had one wish for improving the management of liver disease…
Editorial 1 – Putting chronic liver disease on the primary care agenda
Chronic liver disease is a problem for all of us. It develops silently, often taking many years to cause sufficient damage to be detectable or cause signs or symptoms for which a patient would seek attention. Primary care has a central role in improving the prevention and early detection of chronic liver disease. This special issue of the British Journal of Primary Care Nursing (BJPCN) and Primary Care Cardiovascular Journal on chronic liver disease is full of step-by-step guides and informative articles to give you the key information and tools to get to grips with this important condition.
Fat: separating the facts from the fiction
Fat is an important part of the diet, providing fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids, as well as a valuable source of energy or calories. Fat also increases the palatability and carries the flavour of many of our foods. The problem is, despite decades of public health campaigns, most of us still eat too much of the wrong fat. Understanding the different types of fat can help us to advise our patients on ways to optimise their diets.
In the balance: Testosterone deficiency and cardiovascular health
Male hypogonadism—also known as testosterone deficiency syndrome—occurs when the testes no longer produce enough testosterone. Testosterone deficiency may be an important factor in increasing a man’s cardiovascular risk. However, the symptoms are often overlooked in older men, both by primary healthcare professionals and by patients themselves.
After stroke: discharge is just the beginning
Like falling off a cliff’ or ‘falling into a black hole’. This is how stroke survivors and their carers often describe discharge from hospital back to their own home. Recognising this issue, the National Stroke Strategy recommended planned reviews to identify unmet needs for health and social care, and secondary prevention. This article discusses tools designed to help professionals to review the evolving needs of stroke survivors and their families.
Making sense of liver function tests
The liver has many functions, and therefore diseases of the liver have numerous consequences. These can be detected and monitored with blood tests. This article provides a review of liver function tests, or LFTs, and how they relate to the key functions of the liver and some of the most common liver diseases.
Reducing alcohol misuse and using audit tools in primary care
Excessive alcohol consumption has joined smoking and obesity as one of today’s major threats to public health. It is a major cause of liver disease, as well as a range of cancers, cardiovascular disease and mental illness. What’s the solution? We look at how primary care can identify patients who are drinking too much and what interventions can help.
