Updates and Advances in Cardiovascular Nursing

Preface
Ta c k l i n g C a r d i o v a s c u l a r a n d
S t r o k e D i s e a s e in 2 0 2 3 a n d B e y o n d

Leslie L. Davis, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FACC, FPCNA, FAHA
Editor

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death globally, with ischemic
heart disease and ischemic stroke ranking as the top two causes of cardiovascular dis-
ease deaths, respectively.1 Despite improved evidence-based treatment options being
available to reduce mortality and morbidity associated with cardiovascular diseases,
patients continue to experience recurrent events. Thus, an essential component of
disease prevention and health promotion is to address common cardiovascular risk
factors. Worldwide, common cardiovascular risk factors include elevated systolic
blood pressure, dietary risks, smoking, high body mass index, low physical activity,
elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high fasting plasma glucose.1 As
nursing is the largest professional discipline worldwide, nurses are in an ideal position
to lead efforts to prevent and manage cardiovascular risk factors.2 Many health care
systems have adopted a team-based approach, including nurses and other profes-
sionals from various disciplines to optimize patient outcomes.3 As part of a team,
nurses can be instrumental in empowering patients to modify health-related lifestyle
behaviors to serve as the cornerstone of primary and secondary prevention efforts.3
Nurses have an obligation and an opportunity to lead efforts to improve patient out-
comes, especially when educating patients and caregivers about self-care activities.
Many updates have occurred in the past decade in the field of cardiovascular and
stroke care, such as advancements in prevention, disease and symptom manage-
ment, and treatment options. These advancements have implications for nursing prac-
tice in hospital and community settings. In this issue of Nursing Clinics of North
America, a breadth of topics related to various conditions (eg, hypertensive emergen-
cies, chronic heart failure, dyslipidemia, stroke, wide complex tachycardias, peripheral
arterial disease, and valvular heart disease), new drug and device therapies (eg,
chronic oral anticoagulation, newly approved novel drug therapies, pacemakers,

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defibrillators, and mechanical assist devices), and special populations (women, sexual
and gender minorities, and pediatric patients) are covered. Authors discuss the latest
evidence and clinical practice guidelines and share pearls to help guide nurses as they
care for patients living with or at risk for cardiovascular diseases. This issue will equip
practicing nurses and other clinicians with the knowledge and skills to ultimately
improve care delivery for this vulnerable patient population for 2023 and beyond.

Leslie L. Davis, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FACC, FPCNA, FAHA
School of Nursing
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
4007 Carrington Hall
Campus Box # 7460
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460, USA
E-mail address:
LLDavis@email.unc.edu

REFERENCES

1. Vaduganathan M, Mensah GA, Turco JV, et al. The global burden of cardiovascular
diseases and risk: a compass for future health. J Am Coll Cardiol 2022;80(25):
2361–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.11.005.
2. Hayman LL, Fletcher B, Miller NH, et al. The global cardiovascular nursing leader-
ship forum: promoting optimal cardiovascular health worldwide. J Cardiovasc Nurs
2023;38(2):111–3. https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0000000000000971.
3. Commodore-Mensah Y, Turkson-Ocran RA, Dennison Himmelfarb CR. Empower-
ing nurses to lead efforts to reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke risk: tools
for global impact. J Cardiovasc Nurs 2019;34(5):357–60. https://doi.org/10.1097/
JCN.0000000000000606.