General practice & prim · UKMLA & AKT

Cardiovascular disease prevention

A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise cardiovascular disease prevention — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.

Key high-yield points

  • NHS Health Check - all adults aged 40-74 without pre-existing CVD/diabetes/CKD, every 5 years; includes QRISK3, BP, BMI, cholesterol, blood glucose
  • Smoking cessation - varenicline (most effective), NRT, or bupropion
  • Diet - total fat ≤30% energy; saturated fat ≤10%; salt <5 g/day; ≥5 fruit/veg daily; 2 portions fish/week (≥1 oily); Mediterranean diet has supporting evidence
  • Physical activity - ≥150 min moderate-intensity aerobic exercise/week or 75 min vigorous
  • Weight management - target BMI 20-25 kg/m²; waist circumference targets:
  • White European: men <102 cm, women <88 cm
  • South Asian: men <90 cm, women <80 cm (lower thresholds - greater metabolic risk)
  • Alcohol - no more than 14 units/week, spread over ≥3 days, with ≥2 alcohol-free days/week

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