THE MANAGEMENT OF СARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Abstract

Сardiovascular disease (CVD) includes heart disease (i.e., myocardial infarction and angina), stroke, hypertension, congestive heart failure (CHF), hardening of the arteries, and other circulatory system diseases. CVD is the number one cause of death in America, responsible for more than 40% of annual deaths. Progress in managing the CVD population may be advanced by closely examining the results of previous studies in this arena. The purpose of this article is to describe the results of a literature review on disease management (DM) strategies targeting CVD (i.e., hypertension, congestive heart failure, and hyperlipidemia and/or coronary artery disease [CAD]) in managed care populations, compare the rigor of the studies and their findings by disease state, and posit directions for future research. Of the 9 studies in DM of hypertension evaluated, 4 were randomized controlled studies, 2 were controlled studies, and the remaining 3 were before-and-after comparisons. Interventions used to manage hypertension included provider reminder systems and timely feedback, use of ancillary health care staff (such as pharmacists and nurses) to increase monitoring, and the implementation of treatment guidelines to standardize care.