Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine MSc

Module Aims
Develop a critical understanding of the science underpinning preventative cardiovascular medicine and the assessment of cardiovascular risk as applied to clinical practice.

Module Content
Candidates will establish an understanding of the concept of risk and how this applies to traditional and emerging risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They will study the science behind cardiovascular function and how this relates to clinical practice, as well as emerging methods of risk calculation.

Learning Outcomes

1. The ability to appraise and apply the use of cardiovascular risk assessment tools in clinical practice and discuss the utility of emerging tools for cardiovascular risk assessment, including imaging techniques.
2. An understanding of the pathophysiology of vascular disease and examine its application to current clinical practice.

Module Aims
To develop a critical understanding of nutrition and lifestyle factors in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Module Content

• Factors, other than lipid status and hypertension, may have an important impact on cardiovascular risk. Smoking, nutrition, diabetes mellitus and physical activity are of particular importance. The impact of these factors on cardiovascular disease will be evaluated in detail. Topical issues such as macronutrient and micronutrient content of diet and their impact on cardiovascular disease will be evaluated.
• Candidates will evaluate the role of legislation in prevention of cardiovascular disease.
• Candidates will assess and employ strategies to reduce.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and apply clinical strategies to reduce smoking.
2. Understand and appraise the role of dietary modification in the reduction of cardiovascular disease.
3. Be able to critically evaluate the role of obesity and physical activity in contributing to cardiovascular disease.

Module Aims
To develop a comprehensive understanding of lipid metabolism and disorders, and their presentation and assessment in clinical practice.

Module Content
Lipid metabolism in health and disease and how this relates to clinical presentation. Familial hypercholesterolaemia, the commonest cause of inherited premature cardiovascular disease, will be considered in detail, including the role of family cascade testing in clinical practice. This will also include evaluation of how molecular testing and modern biochemical analysis is enhancing our understanding of lipid disorders in clinical practice.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand lipid metabolism in both health and disease and demonstrate expertise in how different lipid disorders present in clinical practice and their underlying pathophysiology.
2. Understand and critically evaluate diagnostic techniques used in the clinical assessment of lipid disorders

Module Aims
To critically understand the management of inherited dyslipidaemias, with a particular focus on familial hypercholesterolemia.

Module Content
Management strategies for lipid disorders. Specific non-pharmacological interventions for lipid disorders as well as current and emerging pharmacological therapies will be evaluated.

Learning Outcomes

1. The ability to demonstrate a critical understanding of the management of lipid disorders.
2. The ability to critically appraise the potential role of novel therapies in the management of lipid disorders.

Module Aims
To develop a critical understanding of the pathophysiology and management of hypertension.

Module Content
Candidates will consider the pathophysiology of hypertension, including genetic determinants. They will evaluate both primary and secondary causes of hypertension. Diagnostic aspects will be considered, such as use of ambulatory monitoring and the use of tests to evaluate secondary hypertension.
Modern management of hypertension will be considered in detail, including resistant hypertension.

Learning Outcomes

1. The ability to demonstrate a critical understanding of the pathophysiology of hypertension and its diagnosis in clinical practice.
2. The ability to critically evaluate the use of current drugs used to treat hypertension and their limitations.
3. The ability to critically appraise future targets for the treatment of hypertension.

Module Aims
To gain a critical understanding of preventative cardiovascular medicine in a wide range of relevant clinical conditions.

Module Content
A detailed understanding of the role of preventative cardiovascular medicine in conditions where this is of particular or emerging importance. The examples of diabetes mellitus, renal disease and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection will be considered in detail. The importance of preventative cardiovascular medicine in individuals with mental health conditions and chronic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis will be evaluated. Preventative cardiovascular medicine in children and older people will also be explored in detail.

Learning Outcomes

1. The ability to critically evaluate the role of chronic disease in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.
2. The ability to discuss strategies for reducing cardiovascular disease in patients with specific medical conditions.

Module Aims

• To help students recognise, understand, interpret and apply methods used in healthcare research.
• Understand, interpret and apply basic statistics and epidemiological terms.
• Understand and critically appraise the various methodologies specific to
• Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine research.
• Understand and critically appraise the various studies used in clinical and scientific research such as single blind studies, double blind placebo controlled studies and meta-analyses.

Module Content

• Basic terminology used in epidemiology and research studies such as prevalence, incidence, sensitivity, specificity, false positive and false negatives.
• Interpreting graphical representation of epidemiological and statistical data such as Kaplan-Meier Curves, Forrest Plots and Meta-analyses.
• Calculations used in the assessment of research data such as relative risk, absolute risk, number needed to treat.
• Basic statistical tests and their applications including T-Tests, ANOVA, Chi-Squared Tests.
• Methodologies as applied to Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine research.
• Fundamentals of evidence based practice and its application into the clinical setting.
• Establishing patient registers and the value of disease specific registers.
• Research into educational principles for both medical practitioner and patient. Understanding what may work for the patient as well as the educator.

Learning Outcomes

1. The ability to interpret research in preventative cardiovascular medicine.
2. The ability to display a critical understanding of the clinical implications of research and its impact upon healthcare delivery and service development.
3. The knowledge to implement evidence based practice into care.

Module Aims

• To develop an ability to critically evaluate areas of professional practice
• To critically appraise specific areas of clinical, research and organisational practice.
• To develop skills in independent research and study.
• To develop skills relevant to scientific publications.

Module Content
The module will depend on the creation of a piece of work based upon a specific clinically related project relevant to the student's practice. This project may comprise:

• Literature review and appraisal of the evidence.
• Audit of practice including organisational or clinical.
• Review and implementation of evidence-based practice.
• Qualitative or quantitative research (formal research involving human subjects is not anticipated).
• Case-based and quality of service review with critical appraisal.

Learning Outcomes

1. Design and undertake a research/development project related to healthcare leadership.
2. Critically evaluate practice/health service delivery and suggest improvements for change.