Cardiovascular risk investigations

While a diagnosis of hypertension is being confirmed with ABPM or HBPM, investigations should be undertaken to gain a full picture of an individual’s cardiovascular health. You may not carry out the assessments yourself, but you should be aware of the assessments used.

A person’s cardiovascular risk is increased with hypertension. Their overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease should be calculated at this early stage to allow for tailored advice and contribute to shared decision making discussions about treatment strategies. An increased cardiovascular risk could lead to a person experiencing a stroke or heart attack.

QRISK is a tool used to estimate a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease, over a ten-year period. It considers a person’s age, gender, family history of heart disease, smoking status, blood pressure, cholesterol level, BMI and factors such as postcode and other medical conditions. The algorithm calculates a person’s risk of developing a heart attack or stroke over the next ten years. It presents the average risk, based on a population of people with the same risk factors. The source of data is contributed to by GPs across the UK, and the NHS develops the algorithm. Reducing a person’s cardiovascular risk will have a significant impact on their overall health.

Holding a discussion with the individual about their ideas, concerns and expectations about their cardiovascular risk could lead into a conversation about ways they could reduce their risk.

You could discuss lifestyle modification or medicines such as cholesterol-lowering or antihypertensive drugs.