Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death across Europe, accounting for over four million deaths each year. The main objectives of preventive cardiology are to increase the duration and improve the quality of a patient's life, and this indispensible manual provides practical advice on how to structure and run a preventive cardiology programme, addressing the prevention of cardiovascular disease in clinical practice through lifestyle, risk factor and therapeutic management of patients.
The approach described in this manual is for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, those at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and also for their families to provide the appropriate support. It is written by the multidisciplinary team who coordinated the EUROACTION demonstration project in preventive cardiology in 8 countries in Europe, and provides a comprehensive lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factor management strategy for all high risk patients and their families. It is directed at doctors, nurses, dietitians and physiotherapists, physical activity specialists and other disciplines involved in the preventive and rehabilitative care of these patients.
The manual takes the professional through the patient and family pathway - from patient identification, recruitment of patient and family, comprehensive assessment of lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors, to management of lifestyle change: stopping smoking, making healthy food choices, becoming physically active, achieving a healthy weight and shape and management of blood pressure, blood lipids and blood glucose to healthy levels. A programme model is described which includes both group and individual one-to-one approaches to care. The role of each member of the multi-disciplinary team is described together with the tools available to achieve lifestyle and risk factor change.