COMDIS China Launches new guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease

Rapid growth and a wealthier population has impacted the cardiovascular health of China's population. There is an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease due to increasing consumption of meat-fat, oil and salt, and limited physical activity.

In response, COMDIS (the University of Leeds) together with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Zhejiang University, University of Toronto, Zhejiang CDC as developed a cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and care deskguide. CVDs include heart attacks, angina and stroke. The guide has been put together to help doctors identify and manage those at high CVD risk, in the context of the annual health check up for older people.

The guide helps family doctors identify from the health records those at high CVD risk. It includes the advice to give on healthy eating, drinking, physical activity and tobacco cessation. There is a step by step guide on the preventive treatment with anti-hypertensive and lipid lowering (statin) drugs and aspirin - together reducing the risk of CVDs such as heart attacks and stroke. The guide covers identifying and managing drug contraindications, side effects and on referral to specialist care for those with complications or severe illness. There is a section on the treatment of those with significant hypertension. Also, as those with CVD are more likely to get diabetes and vice versa, there is a section on diabetes and its treatment.

A fuller clinical case management deskguide for China has been drafted, this is designed for the outpatient care in primary care facilities.

The deskguide development was co-sponsored by the World University Network (WUN).

To read the full deskguide, please click here.

Please note, the copyright of the deskguide belongs to the list of organisations and any use of the guideline is encouraged but please request written permission from the Comdis team first.