World Heart Day, September 25, 2005: A Healthy Weight and Healthy Shape-for a Heart for Life
Throughout the world, there are now more overweight than underfed women.* Being overweight or obese, particularly if weight is carried around the abdomen, is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke, increasing the likely age of a first myocardial infarction by between 4 and 8 years.+ Maintaining a healthy weight and body shape dramatically reduces this risk, which is why World Heart Day, taking place on Sunday, September 25, 2005, will focus on the importance of maintaining a Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape.
Most healthcare professionals are well aware that obesity and overweight are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease as well as for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. These health concerns are reaching epidemic proportions globally. More than 1 billion adults worldwide are overweight and 60% of the world population does not meet the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
As the World Heart Federation's most important advocacy event, World Heart Day aims to encourage the world's population to lead a healthier lifestyle by taking more physical exercise and reducing the risk of heart disease through smoke-free living, healthy nutrition, and weight control. Adopting a healthy lifestyle will greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, with new studies showing that major health benefits come in as little as 6 weeks.++
World Heart Day came into being in 1999 with the vision that all World Heart Federation members would, with one voice, spread the word about heart health and a heart for life. Under the slogan "A Heart for Life," World Heart Day is run by the World Heart Federation's member organizations in 100 countries. Activities on the day include health checks, walks, runs, jump rope, fitness sessions, public talks, stage shows, scientific forums, exhibitions, concerts, and sports tournaments. To find out what activities will be taking place in your country on World Heart Day, visit http://www.worldheartday.com.
PCNA Forms Guide Update
Since 2001, the Forms Guide has been one of the most popular PCNA publications, as it offers sample forms that can be used in everyday clinical practice. This important tool is currently being updated. The new manual will continue to offer initial patient assessment forms, flow charts for CVD risk assessment and return visits, self-monitoring logs, evaluation tools, Internet resources, and lipid drug patient information sheets. The new edition will expand the medication fact sheets for patients to include forms for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking cessation, antiplatelet, and anticoagulation medications. Nutrition information sheets on plant stanol and sterol as well as omega-3 fatty acid will also be added. The Internet resources will be updated to offer more patient as well as professional links to aid in clinical practice. Forms on peripheral arterial disease will be added to aid the clinician in patient evaluation as well as a patient exercise instruction sheet. This is a good companion to the current ankle brachial index form. The Forms Guide will be offered on the PCNA website so that providers can have easy access to the information, change it to adapt to their clinical setting, and print the forms for individual use. We expect to have the revisions completed by December.
GeroNurseOnline, a Resource for All Cardiovascular Nurses
Anyone working in a cardiovascular specialty is aware that older adults (those aged 65 and older) are the major consumers of healthcare. And this population is expected to increase from the current 13% to 20% by 2030. Older patients present unique challenges to nurses not educated in the nuances of geriatric medicine. Fortunately, a new resource is now available: http://GeroNurseOnline.org. The goal of GeroNurseOnline is to put geriatric nursing best practice tools into the hands of nurses by providing access to resources within one to two clicks. The website is organized into three levels of information:
* "Need Help Stat" provides concise and targeted content ranging from definitions to common geriatric problems (eg, sleep problems, multiple medications) to assessment tools.
* "Want to Know More" offers in-depth content about geriatric topics such as depression, family care giving, and normal aging changes.
* "Topic Resources" directs users to resources, including current journal articles and related practice materials for topics such as "Assessing Nutrition in Older Adults" and the "Geriatric Depression Scale."
Visitors to GeroNurseOnline search the website by patient clinical signs and symptoms, specific topics, and by specialty nursing practice areas, such as cardiovascular nursing. The GeroNurseOnline website is one component of the Nurse Competence in Aging initiative. For more information, visit the PCNA website (http://www.PCNA.net) or http://www.GeroNurseOnline.org.
PCNA Supports Cardiac/Vascular Certification
Certification is one of the most important career advances you can make. As the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) explains:
Certification validates your nursing specialty knowledge. It also builds confidence in you as a professional, demonstrating that you meet nationally recognized standards in your specialty. It can provide you with career opportunities in your current position or in search for new employment. Many organizations offer certified nurses higher salaries and other benefits.
Several professional organizations offer certifications appropriate for cardiovascular nurses. But did you know that the ANCC offers a premier Cardiac/Vascular Exam perfect for nurses working in areas such as cardiac telemetry or progressive care units, ambulatory care settings, risk reduction programs, vascular clinics, cardiac rehabilitation, and the like?
This examination is geared to nurses who provide comprehensive care to individuals diagnosed with, or at risk for, cardiac/vascular events. It covers a broad scope of practice. Content includes the following:
* Cardiac and vascular disorders
* Primary prevention
* Pathophysiology
* Disease manifestations
* Disease management (including testing, invasive treatments, pharmacologic interventions)
* Education/counseling and risk factor reduction
* Teaching and learning principles
* Self-management techniques
* Hypertension management
* Nutrition
* Exercise and activity
* Tobacco use
* Emerging risk factors
* Psychosocial aspects
* Coping and adaptation
* Quality of life
* Stress management
* Special situations
* Emergency situations
* Gender/racial/cultural considerations
* Comorbid diseases
* Issues and trends in CV nursing
Interested? The ANCC offers two levels of credentialing: Board Certified (RN,BC), for BSN nurses and above, and Certified (RN,C) for diploma and Associate Degree nurses. The examination is offered by computer at more than 300 test sites across the country. After your application is accepted, you will be contacted by the Chauncey Group International regarding scheduling of an examination in your locale. Visit their website at http://www.2test.com or http://www.prometric.com.
Need some review? There is a Cardiac/Vascular Review and Resource Manual available through ANA/ANCC. It includes in-depth content developed from the test content outline, as well as sample questions. It is available at a discounted price to PCNA or ANA members.
Prefer attending a review course? Just this year the ANCC offered 10 courses across the country. The last two will be in Chicago (September 9) and Yuma, AZ (September 23). Check the ANCC's website for future offerings: http://www.nursecredentialing.org or call (800)-924-9053. You can also find information and links on the PCNA website under "Certification."
PCNA Launches
What's Missing in CholesterALL?
Public Education Campaign
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's "Heart Truth Campaign" and the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" have had measurable impact on raising awareness in women that heart disease is their leading cause of death. PCNA created the "Tell a Friend" program as a tool for clinical professionals in presenting important information about heart health to women in the community. This summer, PCNA has been championing an exciting initiative to move women's awareness of cardiovascular risk to a new level.
On July 19, at the New York Academy of Sciences, PCNA launched our "What's Missing in CholesterALL?" public education campaign. This initiative, directed to women, is designed to raise awareness about all of the elements of the cholesterol profile.
The results of a Harris interactive survey of 2700 women aged 50 and older established the need for this educational program. Almost all women acknowledged the importance of cholesterol. Interestingly, 90% of women had their cholesterol levels measured, many within the past year. A knowledge gap, however, was clearly demonstrated when the survey questions went into more detail about the components of the lipid profile. Eighty-one percent of respondents could not state their high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and 84% could not state their triglycerides. More than half of the women surveyed (59%) did not know that HDL is the "good" cholesterol and that LDL is the "bad." It seems that many women are taking that first step to have a cholesterol profile measured, but all too often the first step is also the last.
The "What's Missing in CholesterALL?" campaign media briefing was moderated by PCNA board member Joanna Sikkema. Dr Richard Karas, MD, Director of Preventive Cardiology at the Women's Heart Center, Tufts-New England Medical Center, and Nieca Goldberg, MD, Chief of Women's Cardiac Care at Lenox Hill Hospital, spoke about the importance of cardiovascular risk reduction strategies for women and reviewed the research on the importance of HDL as a risk factor. Concluding the program was Suzanne Hughes, PCNA board member, who explained the survey results and shared the components of the educational campaign.
The survey provided the impetus for the "What's Missing in CholesterALL?" campaign, designed to take the awareness-raising initiatives around women and heart disease to the next level. "What's Missing in CholesterALL?" invites women to become detectives in investigating all the potential clues to a healthy cholesterol profile. Using police-blotter language and playful graphics, PCNA's brochures, website, and toll-free number makes it fun and interesting for women to search out the culprits of heart disease.
Women are encouraged to visit the website http://www.raiseyourcholesterol.com or to call 1 877-HDL-GOAL to receive a complimentary brochure. The website includes a questionnaire that is easily downloadable and can be printed for women to use in a discussion with their healthcare providers.
At the briefing, Dr Karas also discussed the recently announced NIH Trial AIM-HIGHTrial. This study, Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome With Low HDL-C/High Triglyceride and Impact on Global Health Outcomes (AIM-HIGH), is the first large-scale study using combination therapy with Niaspan and simvastatin to evaluate whether there is a benefit of treating low HDL-C levels and high triglyceride levels in patients with vascular disease, who have attained NCEP LDL-C goals. Greg Brown, MD, PhD, University of Washington, Seattle, and William Boden, MD, Hartford Hospital, are the principal investigators for this 6-year trial, with sponsorship from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
Healthcare providers are encouraged to visit the website through http://www.pcna.net or http://www.raiseyourcholesterol.com or to call 1-877-HDL-GOAL to order brochures.
Stay tuned for more developments in the "What's Missing in CholesterALL?" campaign!!
PCNA Goes International
In May 2005, several PCNA board members attended the Sixth International Conference on Preventive Cardiology in Foz do Iguassu, Brazil. The conference was sponsored by the World Heart Federation's Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Kathy Berra, Barbara Fletcher, and Nancy Houston Miller lectured on the topic "Improving Quality of Life in Chronic Stable Angina Patients: 'Get Tough on Angina,' a Community Based Education Program."
PCNA board members also provided a workshop entitled "Increasing the Role of Non-Physician Health Care Providers for CVD Risk Reduction in Primary Health Care," coordinated by Barbara Fletcher. Topics included "Non-physician Providers Improving CVD Risk Reduction in the Pediatric Population" by Laura Hayman, "A Guide for Developing a Successful CVD Risk Reduction Program" by Nancy Houston Miller, and "Successful Nursing Case Management Strategies" by Kathy Berra.
"I think people were very impressed with the program and how complete it is for those wanting to implement it. We had people in the audience from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, Canada and elsewhere. It was a small group but there were great questions asked by participants," said Houston Miller, when asked about PCNA's Get Tough on Angina workshop. Regarding the International Preventive Cardiology Conference, she said,
The experience in Brazil was wonderful-our reception was well-received and there is a general feeling that nursing's involvement in the (World Heart Federation) group is crucial. We felt as though our presence was invaluable. PCNA received recognition with our booth, lectures, and our reception attended by Dr (K. Srinanth) Reddy, the head of this conference.
A Letter From the President
The PCNA Board of Directors and staff have just returned from Denver, Colo, where we met to plan the 2006 Annual Symposium. Another exciting program has been planned, filled with state-of-the-art scientific content as well as useful clinical tools. In addition, we also invited four of our nurse colleagues from Kaiser Permanente in Denver to join us in the planning of the 2006 program. Sally Foland, Lisa Schwartz, Patricia Froechtenigt, and Sarah O'Leary greatly contributed with recommendations for local speakers as well as regional information about Denver. It was a valuable meeting for all of us.
Denver is a unique and beautiful city with a little bit to offer for everyone. Upon arriving in Denver, you will be welcomed by the awe-inspiring Denver International Airport, an architectural tribute to the mountainous region, which is one of the largest airports in the world, measuring 53 square miles. Another interesting fact is that Denver has the lowest percentage of overweight adults in the United State, and this extends to the entire state as well. Further, Colorado is ranked in the Top 10 for being one of the healthiest states in the nation. Denver boasts numerous historical sites, sports arenas, museums, art galleries featuring western artists, golf courses, and an award-winning botanical garden, to name a few. Downtown Denver is the home of the state capitol, Civic Center Park, and the 16th Street Shopping Mall with a free shuttle, all of which are conveniently close to our hotel.
The meeting will be held at the new Hyatt Regency at Colorado Convention Center, which is still under construction, but will be completed by the time of our meeting in April. Not only do we have a fabulous program planned, but it will be housed in a brand new hotel!! In addition, we were able to negotiate a very low hotel room rate of $119 for a single and double occupancy. This year, PCNA will offer a unique opportunity for you to bring a friend or colleague to the meeting with our 2-for-1 meeting registration. Convince a nonmember to join PCNA and you both can attend the annual symposium for the price of one registration. You are also welcome to share a hotel room for further cost savings. What a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a beautiful western city and experience a rich educational symposium.
I look forward to seeing you all with a friend or colleague in Denver.
Sincerely,
Janet B. Long, MSN, APRN, BC, ACNP, PCNA President
*Mendez, Popkin. Overweight exceeds underweight among women in most developing countries. Am J Clin Nutr. March 2005. [Context Link]
+Mayo Clinic Study. Clin Cardiol. August 2004. [Context Link]
++Aldana S. Effects of an intensive diet and physical activity modification program on the health risks of adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(3):371-381. [Context Link]
Section Description
The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing is the official journal of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. PCNA is the leading nursing organization dedicated to preventing cardiovascular disease through assessing risk, facilitating lifestyle changes, and guiding individuals to achieve treatment goals.