The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Medications are highly effective at reducing risk of recurrent stroke, but success is influenced by adherence to treatment. Among survivors of stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA), adherence to medication is known to be suboptimal. ⋯ Patients who have had a stroke are faced with multiple barriers to taking secondary prevention medications in UK general practice. This research suggests that a collaborative approach between caregivers, survivors, and healthcare professionals is needed to address these barriers and facilitate medication-taking behaviour.
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Access to echocardiography in primary care is limited, but is necessary to accurately diagnose heart failure (HF). ⋯ More than one-third of primary care patients labelled with HF may not have HF, and such overdiagnosis may result in inadequate patient management.