This case study presents an everyday clinical situation for you to review with guidance from an expert in the field.
Challenges in type 2 diabetes control: Slipping control and weight gain
Sponsored feature: Identification of malnutrition in COPD patients
People with COPD should be reviewed at least annually according to the Quality and Outcomes Framework. However, there is little mention of the importance of assessing nutritional status and no ‘QOF’ points for doing so. This article describes the assessment and management of COPD patients with a risk of malnutrition.
The role of carbohydrates in a healthy diet: part 2
This article provides an in-depth look at the role of carbohydrates in obesity, impaired glucose regulation and type 2 diabetes. Foods containing carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet for both the general population and those with, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However foods and drinks high in ‘free sugars’ should be restricted.
The role of carbohydrates in a healthy diet: part 1
Never a week goes by without carbohydrates hitting the headlines, with heated debates raging over low carb diets for weight loss to sugar as “the new tobacco”. Sorting fact from fiction is hard for health professionals and patients alike. In this article we go behind the headlines to explore the truth about carbohydrates in a healthy diet.
Back to Basics: Functions of the healthy liver
This Back to Basics feature is a wallchart describing the functions of a healthy liver – the largest organ in the body. It carries out more than 500 tasks essential for life. This wallchart accompanies details on the new NICE guideline on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
New NICE guideline on liver disease
A new NICE guideline provides valuable information on the assessment and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) caused by a build-up of fat in the liver.
Back to Basics: The eatwell guide
This month’s Back to Basics feature is a wallchart showing the new government Eatwell Guide to help your patients understand how to eat a healthy and balanced diet. You may also be interested in visiting the Eatwell page on the NHS Choices website. This includes useful healthy eating tools such as a calorie checker and BMI calculator.
The five key jobs for general practice after a myocardial infarction
The updated NICE guideline on post-myocardial infarction care (CG 172) provides a benchmark for primary care. In this article, Ivan Benett and Jennifer Yung highlight the five key tasks for general practice in caring for someone who has suffered a heart attack.
Gender and quality of life in COPD: A systematic review
Morbidity and mortality for women with COPD is increasing. This systematic review uncovers how women seem to experience COPD differently to men, and helps health care professionals to provide an individualised approach to caring for these patients.
Back to Basics: NHS Health Check – interpreting results
This month’s Back to Basics feature is a free wallchart to aid interpretation of the NHS Health Check results. Use this information with last month’s Back to Basics NHS Health Check chart to raise your patients’ awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and to determine the best lifestyle and medical approaches for each individual.
Back to Basics: The harms of alcohol misuse
This month’s Back to Basics feature is a wallchart describing the multiple harms of alcohol misuse in men and women. This could be used during discussions with patients at risk of excess alcohol consumption.
Is high-intensity interval exercise effective?
Despite good evidence that physical activity is effective in preventing health complications, less than half of adults meet the minimum recommendations for physical activity. This article reviews the use and value of high-intensity interval exercise (short bursts of exercise) in different groups to reduce the risk of long-term conditions.
