AHA/ACOG Issue CVD Screening Advisory

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have issued a presidential advisory geared towards the identification and reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among women in the United States.

In their advisory, the AHA and ACOG recommend that obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYN) evaluate women’s cardiovascular health at annual well visits, since a majority of women consider their OB/GYN to be their primary care physician, especially during childbearing years.

The new advisory includes the following recommendations:

• At every visit, OB/GYNs should discuss healthy behaviors, such as diet and exercise, with patients.
• A full patient history should be used to optimize screening for CVD and related risk factors.
• Technology should be implemented to improve patient care, especially by connecting electronic medical records and using software for referrals and patient education.
• OB/GYNs and cardiologists should make efforts towards improving collaboration.

To view the full advisory, click here.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Brown HL, Warner JJ, Gianos E, et al; American. Promoting risk identification and reduction of cardiovascular disease in women through collaboration with obstetricians and gynecologists: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [Published online May 10, 2018]. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000582

SEE ALSO: Omega 3s Improve Cardio Health (Podcast)

Dr Kevin Maki, president and chief science officer at Midwest Biomedical Research, speaks to us about his latest review about the effect of omega3 supplementation on cardiometabolic health.

For more podcasts, click here.