Weight loss: the options and the evidence

The benefits of intentional weight loss in people who are overweight...

Cardiovascular disease risk assessment in primary care: the role of aspirin

In February 2018, the Ministry of Health released the Cardiovascular...

Cardiovascular disease risk assessment in primary care: managing lipids

The Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and Management for...

Prescribing ACE inhibitors: time to reconsider old habits

Prescribers in New Zealand are highly reliant on cilazapril...

Cardiovascular disease risk assessment in primary care: managing blood pressure

The recently released Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment...

Guidelines for testing, perioperative and bleeding management for dabigatran and rivaroxaban

These guidelines have been produced by PHARMAC in conjunction...

Rivaroxaban: a fully-subsidised oral anticoagulant

From 1 August, 2018, rivaroxaban will be fully subsidised without...

What’s new in cardiovascular disease risk assessment and management for primary care clinicians

The recently released 2018 Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment...

A rising tide of type 2 diabetes in younger people: what can primary care do?

An increasing incidence of early onset type 2 diabetes in New...

Prescribing statins to reduce cardiovascular risk

Lowering lipid levels should be viewed as one aspect of reducing...

Go low or no?
Managing blood pressure in primary care

There is much debate as to whether intensive blood pressure...

An update on managing patients with atrial fibrillation

Most patients with atrial fibrillation can be managed in primary...

The safe and effective use of dabigatran and warfarin in primary care

Patients taking oral anticoagulants require appropriate management...

Beta-blockers for cardiovascular conditions: one size does not fit all patients

Metoprolol succinate accounts for almost three-quarters of the...

Targeted testing for abdominal aortic aneurysm

A recently published study from the University of Otago provides...

Amiodarone brand-change and a reminder on patient monitoring

Two brands of amiodarone are currently subsidised in New Zealand;...

Out-of-clinic blood pressure testing in primary care

Out-of-clinic blood pressure monitoring is increasingly regarded...

Testosterone use in older males

The immediate management of acute coronary syndromes in primary care

An update on antithrombotic medicines: What does primary care need to know?

Managing patients with type 2 diabetes: from lifestyle to insulin

Managing patients with type 2 diabetes: from lifestyle to insulin

The management of type 2 diabetes is multi-faceted. Following...

Research Update: Testosterone use and cardiovascular risk in older males

In the previous edition of Best Practice Journal, we covered...

A follow-up to acute coronary syndromes

The article: "The immediate management of acute coronary syndromes...

The role of prophylactic antibiotics for preventing infective endocarditis in people undergoing dental or other minor procedures

Infective endocarditis is a relatively rare infection of the...

The immediate management of acute coronary syndromes in primary care

The majority of patients who present to general practice with...

News Update

Brand changes for cardiovascular medicines: carvedilol, ezetimibe...

An update on antithrombotic medicines - What does primary care need to know?

Antithrombotic medicines, such as aspirin and warfarin, have...

Dabigatran - An Update

This report provides an update on the use and monitoring of...

The Year in Review - What did we learn in 2014?

In 2014 we published over 60 medical education articles in Best...

Managing patients who are obese: Encouraging and maintaining healthy weight-loss

A more recent article has been published on this subject: Weight...

News Updates

Medicines update: removal of Special Authority status | Antianginal...

A review of statin use and monitoring

Statins are one of the most frequently prescribed medicines...

Communicating cardiovascular risk effectively

Calculating a patient’s cardiovascular risk is relatively easy;...

News Updates

Does aspirin protect against cancer? More high-quality research...

Investigating myalgia in patients taking statins

Muscle pain (myalgia) and weakness is experienced by up to 10%...

The ankle-brachial pressure index: An under-used tool in primary care?

Calculating a patient’s ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI)...

The year that was: Key messages from Best Practice Journal 2013

2013 began with publication of the 50th issue of Best Practice...

“Oh and while you are here...”: Fasting may be unnecessary for lipid testing

A growing body of evidence and expert opinion suggests that...

Hypertension in Adults: The silent killer

Hypertension is associated with a wide-range of cardiovascular...

Ticagrelor – out with the old, in with the new?

Ticagrelor (Brilinta) is a new oral antiplatelet medicine, which...

Giant cell arteritis: Always keep it in your head

Giant cell arteritis, also referred to as temporal arteritis,...

Statins and the risk of acute kidney injury

THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT REPORTS in the literature associating...

Dabigatran revisited

Dabigatran has been available for general practitioners to prescribe...

Identifying patients with heart failure in primary care

Heart failure is now described as either heart failure with...

Managing patients with heart failure in primary care

Once heart failure has been diagnosed, the goal of treatment...

What your lipid test means for you

This A4 printable patient information sheet is designed to help...

Assessing cardiovascular risk in people with high clinical risk factors

Cardiovascular risk assessment tools automatically adjust risk...

Addressing weight issues in young people and families in New Zealand

New Zealand is one of the most overweight countries in the world....

Looking back, looking forward: key messages 2005 – 2011

This report highlights four key prescribing and laboratory testing...

Testing for CVD, diabetes and renal disease in elderly people

Consideration of laboratory testing and interpretation of subsequent...

PHO Performance Programme - six years on

The PHO Performance Programme was established in 2005 to improve...

Updated data sheet for dabigatran etexilate

The dabigatran data sheet was updated in early November 2011...

Transient ischaemic attack: shoot first ask questions later

A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a medical emergency due...

The use of antithrombotic medicines in general practice: a consensus statement

In July 2011, a consensus forum was held in Wellington to discuss...

The medical management of stable angina

This web version is a sample only, all data below the national...

Management of atrial fibrillation in general practice

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is often an incidental finding during...

Medical management of stable angina pectoris

Patients presenting with symptoms consistent with angina is...

The use of dabigatran in general practice

Dabigatran (Pradaxa) is now available in New Zealand, fully...

News in brief: Maternity referral guidelines & Simvastatin

• New maternity referral guidelines released
• Simvastatin:...

Raynaud's phenomenon: a whiter shade to winter's pale

Raynaud's phenomenon is a circulatory disorder, characterised...

Rheumatic fever in Māori: what can we do better?

In New Zealand, acute rheumatic fever is now almost exclusively...

Gout: an alarm bell for diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Counties Manukau DHB Māori Gout Action Group have identified...

Cardiovascular disease risk assessment: what are the PHO Performance Programme indicators and how are they best achieved?

The PHO Performance Programme is a quality improvement initiative...

News in brief: Dabigatran; Antibiotics and COC; Prescription kitchen

Dabigatran to be listed | Most broad spectrum antibiotics do...

Should I still use both CRP and ESR when investigating temporal arteritis?

CRP alone is the best test for temporal arteritis. This...

Assessing cardiovascular risk: what the experts think

Despite much being known about cardiovascular risk assessment,...

Snippets: Jadelle & Sibutramine

Jadelle – A newly funded long-acting contraceptive implant |...

Rheumatic fever - the neglected disease

New Zealand continues to have high rates of rheumatic fever,...

Promoting healthy lifestyles for Pacific peoples

Ask a Pacific person what a healthy lifestyle means for them...

Snippets: Insulin glargine & Ezetimibe

Insulin glargine – access widened from 1 August 2010 | Changes...

The warfarin dilemma

Evidence suggests that warfarin is under utilised in older people....

Which Antihypertensive?

Once the decision has been made to initiate antihypertensive...

Access to clopidogrel now widened

Clopidogrel, an antiplatelet medicine, is now able to be prescribed...

An update on statins

The decision to initiate a statin should be based upon an individual’s...

HbA_1c targets in people with type 2 diabetes - do they matter?

Maintaining good glycaemic control reduces the risk of microvascular...

Snippets: Iodine supplements Zoledronic acid & Atorvastatin

• Iodine supplements now funded
• Zoledronic acid now funded
• Atorvastatin...

Medicines for weight loss - do they work

A more recent article has been published on this subject: Weight...

Care of stroke survivors

The aim of stroke rehabilitation is for the patient to regain...

Best Tests March 2010

Investigating the gut & Feedback on the Troponin & Urea...

Secondary stroke prevention

People who have had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack are...

Time is brain: emergency treatment of stroke

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in New Zealand,...

The role of troponin testing in primary care

Troponins have overtaken the traditional ‘cardiac enzymes’,...

Upfront: Discussing weight loss in general practice

New Zealanders are getting fatter. That’s a fact. When a problem...

Snippets: Aspirin for CVD & Paracetamol post-vaccination

Should aspirin still be used for primary prevention of cardiovascular...

Best Tests

• The role of troponin testing in Primary Care
• Should we...

Low molecular weight heparin use in primary care

Enoxaparin (Clexane) is a low molecular weight heparin used...

Snippets: Nicotinic acid Fosamax Plus & Genetic testing

Nicotinic acid/laropiprant (Tredaptive) ▪ Fosamax Plus...

One Heart Many Lives

He manawa takitahi, he iwi takitini “One Heart Many Lives”...

Making a difference in chronic kidney disease

Mate tākihi ukiuki Chronic kidney disease affects approximately...

What’s new in the 2009 New Zealand Cardiovascular Guidelines Handbook?

The New Zealand Guidelines Group recently released their updated...

Drug monitoring - Monitoring diuretics in primary care

Monitoring a person on diuretics is necessary to assess response...

Warfarin vs. aspirin for the prevention of atrial fibrillation related stroke

The decision whether to choose aspirin or warfarin for stroke...

The role of antiplatelet agents

Antiplatelet drugs including aspirin, clopidogrel and dipyrimadole,...

Transient ischaemic attack - a medical emergency

For one in four people, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is...

The management of anaphylaxis in primary care

Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal hypersensitivity reaction,...

The science behind lifestyle risk factors for cardiovascular disease

When advice is provided to patients about reducing cardiovascular...

Metabolic syndrome: useful or not?

Debate about the clinical usefulness of a diagnosis of metabolic...

Engaging patients in managing cardiovascular risk

Once a patient understands their CVD risk, the next step is...

Communicating cardiovascular risk - getting your message across

Many GPs find it difficult to explain CVD risk to their patients....

Assessing cardiovascular disease risk

New PHO Performance indicators announced. GPs experiences of...

Upfront: Cardiovascular risk screening

Professor Rod Jackson and Professor Simon Capewell debate screening...

Patients understanding of cholesterol

A summary of the findings of a recent study which raises questions...

10 Minute tutorial

Creating a cardiovascular risk assessment alert in your PMS.

Cardiovascular disease and diabetes in Māori

Cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes are major causes...

Dilemmas: Managing cardiovascular risk in elderly people

Older people have a higher cardiovascular risk and therefore...

Snippets: Drug information of topical interest

• Calcium Supplementation and the risk of myocardial infarction
• Use...

Role of calcium channel blockers in hypertension

Thiazides are considered to be appropriate initial treatment...

Lipid Testing for People with Cardiovascular Disease

Laboratory Testing for Cardiovascular Risk

‘Laboratory Testing for Cardiovascular Risk’ is...

Beta-blocker options following funding changes to Betaloc CR

Prescribing advice following changes to the funding of Betaloc...

10 minute audit: Identifying your patients on colchicine

Is carvedilol superior to metoprolol in heart failure?

Carvedilol may be an option for patients initiating beta-blocker...

Upfront: co-enzyme Q10 supplements

“Would you like fries with that”. The role of co-enzyme...

Dear Dave

Can Sumatriptan be used safely with SSRIs? Can you ever use...

Dear Dave

What is the significance of the warning between ACE inhibitors...

High Blood Pressure

Recent literature has raised doubts about the role of β-blockers...

Interactions with Warfarin

Warfarin has the potential to interact with numerous drugs resulting...

Opportunistic interventions in primary care can reduce stroke risk

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in New Zealand, after...

Reminder: BNP, Haemochromatosis and Vitamin D

Key recommendations for BNP, Haemochromatosis and Vitamin D...

Monitoring for metabolic disorders in patients taking antipsychotic drugs

This article is a brief overview of recommended monitoring for...

Dear Dave

Can smoking cessation affect the dose of antipsychotics?Do statins...

BNP Testing in Primary Care

from BNP/Haemochromatosis/Vitamin D: Testing in Primary CareThis...

Amiodarone:- safety issues

Reducing adverse events in patients taking amiodarone.

Warfarin

An update on treatment of atrial fibrillation with a focus on...

Kōwhai tackles overdue INRs

INR testing plus:
• Kōwhai tackles overdue INRs
• Oral route...

INR testing

INR testing plus:
• Kōwhai tackles overdue INRs
• Oral route...

Excessive anticoagulation

INR testing plus:
• Kōwhai tackles overdue INRs
• Oral route...

Dear Dave

Is it safe to use beta-blockers for cardiac disease in people...

INR Testing

Warfarin is the most widely used anticoagulant in New Zealand....

Guide for using INR to manage warfarin

Appendices from "INR Testing" including:
• Guide for using INR...

NSAIDs and coxibs

Cardiovascular risk associated with NSAIDs and coxibsNSAIDs...

ACE Inhibitors

This POEM is focused on the use of ACE Inhibitors in diabetes,...

Best Tests: BNP

Thyroid function tests plus:
• eGFR
• BNP
• BRCA tests

Diabetes

The diabetes POEMs focus on the drug treatment of adults with...

Ischaemic cardiovascular disease

The purpose of the PHO Performance Programme is to reduce disparities...