New guidelines for patients with chronic coronary syndromes

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Heart Journal have both published new guidelines for patients with chronic coronary syndromes. The new guidelines highlight the detrimental impact of both pollution and environmental noise on individuals with chronic coronary syndromes, advising those individuals to consider avoiding areas with heavy traffic or wearing face masks to reduce the affects of pollution.

The new guidelines also advise that patients should avoid smoking, passive smoking, eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains whilst limiting saturated fat and alcohol, maintain a healthy body weight and participate in moderate physical activity of 30-60 minutes on most days. The guidelines also recommend an annual flu jab especially for elderly patients with chronic coronary syndromes. The authors note that as individuals with CAD have a much greater risk of mood and anxiety disorders, counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy is also recommended for those suffering from depression, anxiety or stress.