July 2, 2012 | American Heart Association
Suzanne Hughes receives American Heart Association Healthcare Volunteer of the Year Award
On June 27, the American Heart Association presented its Healthcare Volunteer of the Year Award to Suzanne Hughes, R.N., M.S.N., FAHA. The award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to or achievements in cardiovascular disease and/or stroke patient care or improvements in the quality of healthcare delivery. More
June 11, 2012 | Nurse.com
RNs step up efforts to raise women’s awareness of heart disease risk and prevention
Once or twice a year, Lynne Braun, RN, PhD, CNP, FAHA, FPCNA, is welcomed to the pulpit of a church with a predominantly African-American congregation in Chicago. Her mission: To preach the tenets of heart disease prevention to the women sitting in the pews. Her message is straightforward but hopeful: Heart disease and stroke are the number one and three killers, respectively, of women — particularly African-American women — in the U.S. But they can be prevented through lifestyle changes. More
June 8, 2012 | National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention
Health Reform Activity Team
The Health Reform Activity Team meets monthly to discuss health reform legislation, and share key policy highlights. Health reform legislation presents numerous opportunities to improve the cardiovascular health of our nation. Team members work together to develop and implement a coordinated strategy that integrates the heart disease and stroke prevention provisions of health care legislation and links strategy efforts with other stakeholder organizations. The dynamic developments (Exchanges/Qualified Health Plans, Essential Health Benefits) of health care reform with specific focus on the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy, the protection of prevention dollars in the Affordable Care Act, and the development of strategic initiatives to accomplish our goals are tracked. More
May 9, 2012 | Entry Point
Taking Aim at America’s Number One Killer - One Key Heart Disease Risk Factor At A Time
The Million Hearts initiative aims to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years minding the “ABCs.”
Dallas cardiologist David May believes that physicians should follow checklists, just like airline pilots. With the aid of a form developed by the American College of Cardiology, he asks all of his patients about key cardiovascular, health indicators, including blood pressure, cholesterol and lipid levels, smoking status, and whether they take a baby aspirin each day to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. More
April 30, 2012 | Medscape
Oral Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation
An Expert Interview With David Parra, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, and Janet Long, MSN, ACNP, CLS
Warfarin has been the traditionally prescribed oral anticoagulant. Recently, newer alternative oral antithrombotic agents have been approved. These medications have advantages and limitations that are important for practitioners to understand. Oral Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly was featured as a podium presentation here at the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) 2012 Annual Symposium, held April 12 to 14. More
April 26, 2012 | Medscape
Ten-Minute Nutrition and Exercise Counseling Makes a Difference
An Expert Interview With Lynne Braun, PhD, CNP, CLS, and Jane Nelson-Worel, MSN, APRN-BC, APNP
Approximately 1 in 3 Americans are currently living with cardiovascular disease; it is the leading cause of death in the United States. Modest lifestyle changes can substantially reduce morbidity and mortality, yet adherence rates among adults to the national guidelines for physical activity and healthy eating average less than 30%. Lifestyle Counseling in 10 Minutes or Less was featured in breakout sessions here at the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) Annual Symposium, held April 12 to 14. More
April 13, 2012 | Medpage Today
Office Procedure Changes Increase Lipid Screening
Having nurses order cholesterol tests, using nonfasting testing, and creating alerts in the electronic medical record (EMR) system to identify missing data helped primary care physicians increase the number of patients undergoing lipid screening, a performance improvement project showed. More
April 13, 2012 | Medpage Today
Cartoid Test Boosts Cardiac Risk Prediction
Determining one's vascular age via an ultrasound of the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) can help triage the so-called "worried well," a small study found. In an effort to test the robustness of CIMT-adjusted risk, Lori Neri, CRNP, CLS, and colleagues from The Heart Care Group in Allentown, Pa., assessed the carotids of 26 patients with a first-time ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and no known prior cardiovascular disease. More
