Cardiovascular Disease

Question 1

What are the non-modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

Answer 1

Increasing age
Family history
Male sex

Question 2

What are the modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

Answer 2

Smoking
Alcohol
Poor Diet
Low Exercise
Obesity
Poor Sleep
Stress

Question 3

What medical co-morbidities increase a patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease?

Answer 3

Diabetes
Hypertension
Chronic kidney disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Use of atypical antipsychotics

Question 4

What medical conditions can atherosclerosis result in?

Answer 4

Angina
Myocardial infarction
TIA/strokes
Peripheral vascular disease
Chronic mesenteric ischemia

Question 5

What is the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease?

Answer 5

Optimise modifiable risk factors
Atorvastatin 20mg (if QRISK3 >10% or CKD/T1DM for 10+ years)

Question 6

What is the secondary prevention management of cardiovascular disease?

Answer 6

Optimise modifiable risk factors
Aspirin
Atorvastatin 80mg
Atenolol (or bisoprolol)
ACE inhibitor

Question 7

What is a QRISK3 score?

Answer 7

Calculates percentage risk that a patient will have a stroke or MI in the next 10 years.

Question 8

After starting a patient on a statin what tests should be performed?

Answer 8

Check lipids at 3 months (aiming for >40% reduction in non-HDL cholesterol)

Check LFTs within 3 months & at 12 months (only stop if rise in ALT/AST is more than 3 times the upper range of normal).

Question 9

What are the side effects of statins?

Answer 9

Myopathy
T2DM
Haemorrhagic stroke

Question 10

What do you check if you suspect myopathy in a patient taking statins?

Answer 10

Creatine Kinase