Best-practice care for people with coronary heart disease can reduce the incidence of subsequent cardiovascular events and improve quality of life and survival. This requires the application of evidence-based lifestyle, biomedical and psychosocial management recommendations.
NEW: Reducing risk in heart disease
This is the latest version of our expert guide to clinical practice for secondary prevention for coronary heart disease. It includes new lipid targets and a section on warning signs of a heart attack. Access the guide from the resources section below.
Cardiac rehabilitation
The World Health Organization and the Heart Foundation recommend that all patients who have had a heart attack, heart surgery, coronary angioplasty or other heart or blood vessel disease should routinely referred to an appropriate cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program.
My heart, my life
"My heart, my life is a manual for patients with coronary heart disease. Features include comprehensive evidence-based risk factor information in a concise format, self-management tools including action plans, a “Medicines List” card and a record card (“Managing my heart health. At a glance”) to help patients monitor their progress and facilitate discussion with health professionals.
A preview of "My heart, my life" and ordering process can be found here.
Managing My Heart Health (MMHH) – A Resource For People With Or At High Risk Of Coronary Heart Disease
“Managing my heart health” is an interactive self-management resource for people with, or at high risk of, coronary heart disease. It mirrors the content of the “Reducing Risk in Heart Disease 2012 expert guide” and provides lifestyle, medical and psychosocial strategies to reduce the risk of further heart problems.
Key features of this valuable resource include comprehensive evidence-based risk factor information in a concise format self-management tools including action plans, a “Medicines List” card and a record card (“Managing my heart health. At a glance”) to help patients monitor their progress and facilitate discussion with health professionals. To order this resource, call 1300 36 27 87.
Additional copies of the “Managing my heart health. At a glance” record card can be downloaded below.
Managing my heart health. At a glance record card
Update: Aspirin and Primary Coronary Heart Disease Prevention
The Heart Foundation does not recommend that people with no known coronary heart disease (CHD) take low dose aspirin (75–150 mg) daily to reduce their risk of developing CHD. Large international studies have repeatedly shown no or minimal cardiovascular benefits in people with no known CHD taking low dose aspirin daily. Benefits were also outweighed by bleeding complications (stomach ulcers and stroke).
Further research is underway to assess whether or not there are benefits of aspirin use in people with:
- diabetes, but no known CHD
- a family history of, or other risk factors for, CHD.
People over 45 years of age with no known CHD will benefit most from following a healthy lifestyle and regularly seeing their doctor for comprehensive risk assessments. These assessments should include having blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels checked and treated if necessary.
However, taking low dose aspirin daily is an essential* part of the treatment for people with known CHD, stroke or other forms of vascular disease (e.g. angina, heart attack, coronary stent or bypass surgery).
Access the original position statement and addendum below.
Aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention - position statement 2003 (clicking this link will take you to another website)
Aspirin for primary prevention in women - addendum 2005
*There are alternative 'anti-platelet' medicines available for people who are not able to take aspirin
Secondary prevention of coronary heart disease
GP Management Plan for Coronary Heart Disease
A GP Management Plan (GPMP) for coronary heart disease has been developed and is now available to download into general practitioner desktop clinical software.
Reducing Response Time to Suspected Heart Attack
We have launched a campaign to make sure that all patients with coronary heart disease know the warning signs of heart attack, what to do, and why it’s important to act quickly if they experience them.
Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. A call to action to improve the health of Australians
Resources
Reducing risk in heart disease - an expert guide to clinical practice for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. A summary guide is also available.
Recommended Framework in Cardiac Rehabilitation
CSANZ Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia (2009) - endorsed by the Heart Foundation (clicking this link will take you to another website)
CSANZ Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of familial long QT syndrome (2009) - endorsed by the Heart Foundation (clicking this link will take you to another website)
CSANZ Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Marfan syndrome (2009) - endorsed by the Heart Foundation (clicking this link will take you to another website)
