In 2015 West Hampshire CCG (WHCCG) recognised that there was a significant burden of undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF), which was resulting in an excess of preventable strokes. This could be improved by the prescription of anticoagulation in those at increased risk. A brief case study describes how the CCG improved outcomes for high-risk patients.

Stories in this Evidence in Practice include:

• Health survey for England, 2016: The good and the bad news
• Healthy lifestyle changes have a long-term benefit for type 2 diabetes prevention
• Weight loss diets reduce the risk of premature death for people with obesity
• Very low calorie diet can achieve a remission of Type 2 Diabetes
• Dash diet plus sodium reduction lowers systolic blood pressure
• Long-term follow-up underscores benefits of lowering LDL-C in CVD primary prevention
• Blood pressure self-monitoring is more effective with professional support
• AF and other chronic conditions = higher risk of death
• Clinical trials underestimate the real-world impact of Atherosclerotic CVD
• The burden of heart failure continues to rise in the UK

This useful wall chart shows how just 5-10% weight loss improves important markers of cardiovascular health, including lipids, blood pressure, diabetes risk and inflammation.

NHS RightCare is a national NHS England-supported programme helping to ensure that the best possible care is delivered as efficiently as possible, and that this care is right for patients and will help ensure a sustainable NHS, now and for the future.

Raised blood cholesterol is a major risk factor in developing coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. Effective and well-tolerated lipid-lowering treatment improves outcomes for patients with elevated cholesterol, especially those with familial hypercholesterolaemia.

About one fifth of people admitted to hospital each year as emergencies have acute kidney injury (AKI), and about two thirds of AKI starts in the community. These two useful wallcharts provide essential advice for GPs and practice nurses on how to recognise and respond to AKI in adults.

This article seeks to demonstrate the close relationship between cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). It also highlights the importance of identifying people with CKD as a means of recognising people at high risk of both cardiovascular events and unplanned admissions.

Hypertension is the most important single risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). It affects over 25% of adults in England, but more than 5.5 million people remain undiagnosed. Although the number of adults with untreated hypertension has fallen, England’s performance still lags behind achievements in countries such as Canada and the USA, and there is scope for improvement.

This useful wallchart gives at-a-glance advice on diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure in adults, based on the most recent hypertension guidelines from NICE.