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Interactive quizzes are based on material found in Best Practice Journal and Best Tests. Initially, quizzes are posted out with journals and GPs are invited to submit their answers for CME credits.
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Early action is essential to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with newly identified atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the... View Article
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as dabigatran and rivaroxaban are now established as the “go to” choice in primary care... View Article
Hypertension is a common finding among patients in primary care; ideal pharmacological treatment, however, continues to be debated.... View Article
Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome, involving abnormalities in the structure or function of the heart that reduce cardiac... View Article
The benefits of intentional weight loss in people who are overweight are undeniable. However, the vast number of diets, products... View Article
As of 1 December, 2021, rosuvastatin is funded with Special Authority approval in New Zealand. Rosuvastatin is a more potent statin... View Article
Lowering lipid levels should be viewed as one aspect of reducing a patient’s overall cardiovascular disease risk, and treatment... View Article
Prescribers in New Zealand are highly reliant on cilazapril as their “go-to” ACE inhibitor, but this prescribing is out of step... View Article
Patients currently prescribed cilazapril + hydrochlorothiazide combination tablets will need to transition to a different combination... View Article
Patients taking oral flecainide or amiodarone need to know that the suppliers of these medicines have changed and that they may... View Article
The benefits of intentional weight loss in people who are overweight are obvious and undeniable. However, the vast number of diets,... View Article
In February 2018, the Ministry of Health released the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and Management for Primary Care consensus... View Article
The Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and Management for Primary Care consensus statement was released earlier in 2018. This... View Article
The recently released Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and Management for Primary Care consensus statement provides updated... View Article
These guidelines have been produced by PHARMAC in conjunction with bpacnz, with the assistance of practising specialists. They... View Article
From 1 August, 2018, rivaroxaban will be fully subsidised without restriction for people who require an oral anticoagulant. This... View Article
The recently released 2018 Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and Management for Primary Care consensus statement provides... View Article
An increasing incidence of early onset type 2 diabetes in New Zealand is putting more people at risk of early mortality and complications... View Article
Lowering lipid levels should be viewed as one aspect of reducing a patient’s overall cardiovascular disease risk. The aim of treatment... View Article
There is much debate as to whether intensive blood pressure management, i.e. aiming for a systolic blood pressure less than 120... View Article
Most patients with atrial fibrillation can be managed in primary care. Patients should be referred for an initial assessment with... View Article
Patients taking oral anticoagulants require appropriate management in order to receive the maximum benefit from treatment with... View Article
Metoprolol succinate accounts for almost three-quarters of the beta-blockers dispensed in New Zealand. There is, however, little... View Article
A recently published study from the University of Otago provides clarity as to which patients in general practice would benefit... View Article
The funded brand of amiodarone has now changed, see: Antiarrhythmic medicine brand changes: flecainide and amiodaroneTwo brands... View Article
Out-of-clinic blood pressure monitoring is increasingly regarded as a routine component of cardiovascular risk management. This... View Article
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The management of type 2 diabetes is multi-faceted. Following diagnosis, patients require education to self-manage their condition... View Article
In the previous edition of Best Practice Journal, we covered the appropriate use of testosterone in older male patients (see:... View Article
The article: "The immediate management of acute coronary syndromes in primary care” attracted some interest from emergency care... View Article
Infective endocarditis is a relatively rare infection of the inner layer of the heart’s valves and chambers. Approximately one-third... View Article
The majority of patients who present to general practice with chest pain are unlikely to have an acute coronary syndrome. However,... View Article
Antithrombotic medicines, such as aspirin and warfarin, have been routinely prescribed in primary care for decades for the prevention... View Article
Brand changes for cardiovascular medicines: carvedilol, ezetimibe and ezetimibe with simvastatin View Article
This report provides an update on the use and monitoring of dabigatran between October, 2013 and September, 2014 in general practice... View Article
In 2014 we published over 60 medical education articles in Best Practice Journal, spanning more than 450 pages. Context is crucial... View Article
A more recent article has been published on this subject: Weight loss: the options and the evidence The mainstays of obesity... View Article
This article has been archived. If you would like access to the original article please contact: editor@bpac.org.nz View Article
Statins are one of the most frequently prescribed medicines in New Zealand each year. Alongside lifestyle modifications, statins... View Article
Calculating a patient’s cardiovascular risk is relatively easy; communicating this to patients in a way that assists their decision... View Article
Does aspirin protect against cancer? More high-quality research is needed View Article
Muscle pain (myalgia) and weakness is experienced by up to 10% of patients taking statins. However, myalgia is commonly experienced... View Article
Calculating a patient’s ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) is a simple, low-cost and non-invasive way of detecting peripheral... View Article
2013 began with publication of the 50th issue of Best Practice Journal. In this edition we focused on the topic at the heart of... View Article
A growing body of evidence and expert opinion suggests that fasting is not necessary prior to a lipid test in most scenarios.... View Article
Hypertension is associated with a wide-range of cardiovascular and end-organ diseases. It is a frequent finding among patients... View Article
Ticagrelor (Brilinta) is a new oral antiplatelet medicine, which has been available, fully subsidised, with Special Authority,... View Article
Giant cell arteritis, also referred to as temporal arteritis, is a form of vasculitis which predominantly affects older people.... View Article
THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT REPORTS in the literature associating the use of statins with acute kidney injury (AKI). A study by Hippisley-Cox... View Article
Once heart failure has been diagnosed, the goal of treatment is to improve symptoms and signs and avoid or reduce hospital admissions.... View Article
Heart failure is now described as either heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF-REF) or heart failure with preserved... View Article
Dabigatran has been available for general practitioners to prescribe since July, 2011. Dabigatran is indicated for prevention... View Article
This A4 printable patient information sheet is designed to help patients understand the results of blood lipid tests and to describe... View Article
Cardiovascular risk assessment tools automatically adjust risk to greater than 20% for people with high risk factors, e.g. a prior... View Article
New Zealand is one of the most overweight countries in the world. The proportion of people who are overweight or obese is highest... View Article
This report highlights four key prescribing and laboratory testing recommendations covered over the past five years. Over this... View Article
Consideration of laboratory testing and interpretation of subsequent results should be guided by a patients “drugs, diseases and... View Article
The PHO Performance Programme was established in 2005 to improve the health of people enrolled in general practices in New Zealand... View Article
The dabigatran data sheet was updated in early November 2011 to highlight the importance of an assessment of renal function in... View Article
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a medical emergency due to the high risk that stroke will occur within the next 48 hours.... View Article
This web version is a sample only, all data below the national level has been omitted. View Article
In July 2011, a consensus forum was held in Wellington to discuss the use of antithrombotic medicines in general practice. This... View Article
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is often an incidental finding during a routine medical assessment. The diagnosis of AF can be confirmed... View Article
Patients presenting with symptoms consistent with angina is a common occurrence in general practice. Angina is formally diagnosed... View Article
• New maternity referral guidelines released • Simvastatin: risk associated with high doses View Article
Dabigatran (Pradaxa) is now available in New Zealand, fully funded, without Special Authority, as an alternative oral anticoagulant... View Article
Raynaud's phenomenon is a circulatory disorder, characterised by episodic attacks where arteries in the fingers and toes spasm,... View Article
In New Zealand, acute rheumatic fever is now almost exclusively a disease affecting Māori and Pacific peoples. The majority of... View Article
Counties Manukau DHB Māori Gout Action Group have identified five publicly held myths about gout and presented a plan with five... View Article
The PHO Performance Programme is a quality improvement initiative which aims to improve health and reduce disparities among people... View Article
Dabigatran to be listed | Most broad spectrum antibiotics do not affect the combined oral contraceptive | Prescription kitchen View Article
CRP alone is the best test for temporal arteritis. This article is out of date. Please see updated information here: Giant... View Article
Despite much being known about cardiovascular risk assessment, there are still areas which remain contentious or are not supported... View Article
New Zealand continues to have high rates of rheumatic fever, particularly among Pacific peoples. View Article
Ask a Pacific person what a healthy lifestyle means for them and the response will depend on who you are talking to. For young... View Article
Evidence suggests that warfarin is under utilised in older people. The dilemma is that in older people with atrial fibrillation,... View Article
Once the decision has been made to initiate antihypertensive treatment, choice of medicine should be based on individual patient... View Article
The decision to initiate a statin should be based upon an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the likely... View Article
Maintaining good glycaemic control reduces the risk of microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes and may also reduce the... View Article
A more recent article has been published on this subject: Weight loss: the options and the evidence Improving diet and increasing... View Article
The aim of stroke rehabilitation is for the patient to regain the best level of health, activity and participation possible within... View Article
People who have had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack are at increased risk of future stroke, especially in the first few... View Article
Stroke is the third most common cause of death in New Zealand, with approximately 22 strokes occurring each day. Stroke should... View Article
Troponins have overtaken the traditional ‘cardiac enzymes’, and can provide valuable information of the likelihood... View Article
New Zealanders are getting fatter. That’s a fact. When a problem is getting worse, it is time to reassess the methods we are using... View Article
Should aspirin still be used for primary prevention of cardiovascular desease? Reconsider paracetamol use post-vaccination View Article
Nicotinic acid/laropiprant (Tredaptive) ▪ Fosamax Plus ▪ Direct-to-consumer genetic testing View Article
Enoxaparin (Clexane) is a low molecular weight heparin used in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes and in the treatment... View Article
Mate tākihi ukiuki Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 10% of the population of New Zealand, with a higher prevalence... View Article
He manawa takitahi, he iwi takitini “One Heart Many Lives” is a social marketing campaign that was developed to promote... View Article
The New Zealand Guidelines Group recently released their updated Cardiovascular Guidelines Handbook. This article details the... View Article
Monitoring a person on diuretics is necessary to assess response to treatment and to prevent adverse events, particularly electrolyte... View Article
The decision whether to choose aspirin or warfarin for stroke prevention is often not clear cut. There is evidence that treatment... View Article
Antiplatelet drugs including aspirin, clopidogrel and dipyrimadole, reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events by about 20-25%... View Article
For one in four people, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a forerunner for stroke. If TIA is suspected, aspirin should be immediately... View Article
When advice is provided to patients about reducing cardiovascular risk, lifestyle advice is usually discussed first. The mechanisms... View Article
Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal hypersensitivity reaction, characterised by rapid onset of life-threatening respiratory and... View Article
Debate about the clinical usefulness of a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome has been ongoing since it was first described. It is... View Article
Once a patient understands their CVD risk, the next step is to help motivate them to make changes to reduce their risk. Lifestyle... View Article
Many GPs find it difficult to explain CVD risk to their patients. Patients who do not understand about their risk are not motivated... View Article
New PHO Performance indicators announced. GPs experiences of cardiovascular risk assessment. Finding the best approach to CVD... View Article
Professor Rod Jackson and Professor Simon Capewell debate screening of high risk individuals v population wide strategies for... View Article
A summary of the findings of a recent study which raises questions about how much people understand about cholesterol and its... View Article
Cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes are major causes of hospitalisations and mortality in Māori. There are many things... View Article
Creating a cardiovascular risk assessment alert in your PMS. View Article
Older people have a higher cardiovascular risk and therefore appear to have the most potential to benefit from risk reduction,... View Article
• Calcium Supplementation and the risk of myocardial infarction • Use of eGFR for drug dose adjustment• Compulsive gambling... View Article
Thiazides are considered to be appropriate initial treatment for most people with hypertension. Choice of other antihypertensives,... View Article
“Would you like fries with that”. The role of co-enzyme Q10 supplements in medical treatment. View Article
Carvedilol may be an option for patients initiating beta-blocker treatment for heart failure or patients in whom metoprolol is... View Article
Can Sumatriptan be used safely with SSRIs? Can you ever use beta-blockers in someone with a history of Asthma? View Article
What is the significance of the warning between ACE inhibitors and allopurinol. View Article
Recent literature has raised doubts about the role of β-blockers for lowering blood pressure and the New Zealand Guidelines... View Article
Warfarin has the potential to interact with numerous drugs resulting in significant morbidity and potentially fatal bleeds. Loss... View Article
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in New Zealand, after ischaemic heart disease and all cancers combined and is the most... View Article
Can smoking cessation affect the dose of antipsychotics?Do statins cause nightmares?How important is it to give simvastatin at... View Article
Reducing adverse events in patients taking amiodarone. View Article
An update on treatment of atrial fibrillation with a focus on warfarin. View Article
Cardiovascular risk associated with NSAIDs and coxibsNSAIDs in the treatment of soft tissue injuries View Article
Is it safe to use beta-blockers for cardiac disease in people with COPD? View Article
The purpose of the PHO Performance Programme is to reduce disparities and improve health outcomes for all people using primary... View Article