NURSE: Nitroglycerin Use: Revisiting Strategies for Efficacy.

Sublingual nitroglycerin (SLN) is front-line therapy for the treatment of episodic stable angina discomfort. Anecdotal evidence gathered by advanced practice nurses in a cardiac pre-assessment clinic suggested that SLN was often overlooked by health care professionals as an integral component of angina self-management. A brief questionnaire exploring patients' knowledge and use of SLN was subsequently administered to 300 patients.

Metabolic syndrome.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes are growing public health burdens and remain one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Canada (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2003). It has become increasingly evident that individuals who present with a cluster of metabolic disorders, known as the metabolic syndrome, are at an increased risk of developing both CVD and type 2 diabetes (Ng, 2003). Due to the increased risk of morbidity and mortality associated with the metabolic syndrome, it is imperative for health care professionals to become familiar with the diagnostic criteria for this disorder.