Tackling CV disease the UK way

A hat tip goes to "Prescribing advice for GPs" for telling Insider that the Joint British Societies (JBS) have published Guidelines on the prevention of cardiovascular disease in clinical practice.

The publication has been reported by the BBC and is available in full online or as a PDF.
The guidelines suggest a consistent multidisciplinary approach to the management of people with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) and those at high risk of developing CVD. This statement is clarified to include people:

with established CVD
with a CVD risk of > 20% in 10 years
with diabetes (Type 1 or 2)

In addition, people with particularly elevated single risk factors are considered at high risk, specified as people:

with blood pressure above 160/100mmHg (or lower with target organ damage)
with total cholesterol to high density lipid ratio (TC:HDL) above 6 (300 in US money)
with familial dyslipidaemia

The guideline goes on to recommend lifestyle advice and treatment targets in the key areas of blood pressure management, blood lipid management, blood glucose management and antiplatelet therapy.

Drug choice in each of these areas has already been covered.

All UK clinicians should receive a copy of the guidelines.

NICE are expected to publish Cardiovascular Disease - Statins guidance in January 2006 and to review the Hypertension guideline in May 2006. In the meantime doctors should continue to follow the formulary advice and the NICE Hypertension Guideline.

At last, wayward prescribing by rogue medical elements in the UK (usually under the influence of Big Pharma) is being brought to heel! This is leading to real cost savings and better treatment outcomes..........everybody wins (except Big Pharma).