In recent years it seems as if there has been an increase in the popularity of very low energy diets (VLEDs) and new programmes are readily available to our patients on the high street. This article explains the background and theory behind VLEDs so that you can better inform and support your patients if they are considering one of these diets.
How to advise patients on fortifying their diet
Adequate nutrition is an important part of keeping healthy. Some patients – particularly the elderly – may find it difficult to consume an adequate diet to provide all the components to maintain good health. In this case, fortifying the diet may be helpful. Our keep and copy guide over the page provides practical tips for you to photocopy and give to patients and their carers on how to fortify their diet without using oral nutritional supplements.
Whole grain breakfasts for trimmer waists
Central obesity remains a big issue in the UK. The accumulation of adipose tissue in the abdominal region is a particular risk factor for chronic disease and mortality.1 In 2008, 39% of adults in England had a waist circumference indicative of central obesity (above 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men).2,3 Two proven effective dietary strategies for reducing waist circumference are the inclusion of whole grain foods in the diet and the avoidance of meal skipping.4 Advice to start the day with whole grain breakfast cereal and/or whole grain bread combines these two strategies in one simple and feasible practical message.
EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOLOGY CONGRESS 2010
Keeping on track for good concordance with CVD and diabetes drugs
What is important when a nurse and patient are together in a consultation? Most of us have had consultations where the discussion did not appear to achieve anything, while, on other occasions, both parties seemed to be working well together. This article looks at how to share the process of planning treatment with a patient to improve health outcomes; it examines what concordance is, and how to achieve it, looking at how this might work out in practice.
Managing patients with recent onset chest pain: key steps
Chest pain and discomfort are common symptoms that account for 1% of visits to primary care, 5% of visits to accident and emergency departments and 25% of emergency hospital admissions. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of many causes of chest pain and is the commonest cause of death in the UK. However, there are treatments available that can improve symptoms and prolong life, making prompt assessment and diagnosis essential. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recently published a new guideline on the assessment and investigation of patients presenting with acute chest pain suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable chest pain suggestive of angina. It includes recommendations that will mean some changes to the way these patients are managed in practice. This article looks at how we can put these changes into action.
How to use the GRASP-AF tool to reduce stroke risk in patients
Eating healthily on a tight budget
Save the Children, a charity well known for its work helping children in war-torn or faminestruck countries, recently announced that it is now handing out grants to struggling UK families who cannot afford to feed themselves. In a recent report, the charity suggests that the credit crunch has led to an increase of 11.3% in cost of food over the last year. It is not surprising that many parents have now cut back on food expenditure, with the poorest of families spending less on their weekly shop than ever before. How can we provide patients with tips on eating healthily on a tight budget?
Treating erectile dysfunction safely and effectively
Erectile dysfunction (ED) and vascular disease share the same risk factors and commonly co-exist. The presence of ED in otherwise asymptomatic men is, therefore, often a useful early warning sign of silent vascular disease. This fundamental concept highlights the importance of ‘looking beyond the penis’ in the evaluation of the ED patient, and challenges practice nurses to consider ED and sexual activity as part of their routine evaluation of patients. Once diagnosed, there is a range of effective treatments for ED, and guidance on how to use them safely in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease together
Chronic clinical conditions have traditionally been regarded as individual disease categories within individual patients, although there is often considerable overlap across clinical systems. The monitoring of patients with long-term conditions has historically centred around a traditional model of a nurse-led clinic, utilising an appropriate level of skill mix. The disease categories and associated clinical indicators of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) have encouraged this approach, but for those managing these patients the presence of various co-morbidities is all too apparent
Back to Basics: Making sense of drugs that reduce blood clotting
All change for the NHS; but stay as you were for practice nurses
All change’ is hitting the NHS once again. The coalition government’s health white paper shifting commissioning to primary care has prompted headlines predicting ‘the end of the NHS’. There is no doubt that the next few years will see massive change, but patients will still need looking after, and this is where practice nurses will continue to do what we have always done best – providing effective education and care. And the BJPCN will continue to support you in this – with evidence-based information and practical tips on the management of patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
