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Cardiology

AANP Resources by Therapeutic Area

American Association of Nurse Practitioners - Cardiology

Continuing Education Courses

The AANP CE Center offers a wide variety of continuing education (CE) activities for nurse practitioners (NPs). Members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) get more, including access to many free activities and significantly discounted rates on others. The activities are updated frequently, and more than a dozen cardiology-related options are currently available.

Visit the AANP CE Center

JAANP Resource Center

Find evidence-based articles, up-to-date guidelines and other resources about cardiology at this resource center, brought to you by the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (JAANP).

Visit the JAANP Resource Center

NP Tools and Resources

AANP-Developed Resources to Support NPs in Treating Your Patients

Accurate Blood Pressure Measurement

Blood pressure (BP) categories for adults were recently updated in the 2017 Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. This change means that more patients will be diagnosed with hypertension and require more accurate BP readings in the office or at home. This video addresses the key components necessary for an accurate BP measurement and can be freely shared with your colleagues and staff.

Hidden Heart Disease: Understanding INOCA and ANOCA

The INOCA/ANOCA tool is an educational resource designed to raise awareness of ischemia and angina that occur without obstructive coronary artery disease — conditions that are frequently missed despite significant symptoms and risk. It helps patients and providers recognize that a "normal" angiogram does not rule out heart disease, and highlights key symptoms, red flags and advanced diagnostic options such as coronary flow reserve and vasospasm testing. The tool emphasizes the disproportionate impact on women and the long delays many patients face before receiving an accurate diagnosis. Ultimately, it supports earlier recognition, appropriate testing and mechanism-specific treatment to improve outcomes and quality of life.

Implementing Lipid-Lowering Therapeutics in Your Clinical Practice: A Practical Guide for the Nurse Practitioner

The AANP Clinical Resource Tool for Lipid-Lowering Therapeutics empowers NPs with practical, evidence-based strategies to optimize cholesterol management and reduce cardiovascular risk. Designed as a quick reference guide, it highlights guideline-directed statin and nonstatin therapies; clinical pearls for improving adherence; and tips for overcoming common challenges such as side effects and insurance barriers. With actionable insights and patient-centered approaches, this resource equips NPs to confidently implement lipid-lowering therapies and improve long-term outcomes in their practice.

This activity is supported by educational grant funding provided by Amgen and Novartis.

Kidney Decline: Sounding the Alarm on the Silent Killer

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 35 million Americans, yet many individuals remain unaware of their condition until it has progressed to advanced stages. Early recognition and timely intervention are critical to slowing disease progression and improving patient outcomes.

This clinical reference handout provides a concise, evidence-informed reference designed to support NPs in clinical practice. The resource highlights:

  • Key risk factors and conditions associated with CKD
  • Early signs and symptoms that may signal kidney decline
  • CKD staging using glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and albuminuria
  • Guidance on assessment, management and referral to kidney specialty care
  • Considerations for timely transplant evaluation and referral

By supporting earlier identification and action, this resource helps clinicians address kidney disease before it reaches advanced stages.

This content was developed independently by American Association of Nurse Practitioners and supported by a healthcare contribution from Sanofi. AANP is an independent, non-profit organization representing healthcare providers and does not endorse or promote any specific commercial entities, products, services, or treatments.

Novel and Emerging Pharmacotherapies for Hypertension

This Clinical Resource Tool on Novel and Emerging Pharmacotherapies for Hypertension equips NPs with practical, evidence-based guidance to address one of the most prevalent and undertreated cardiovascular risk factors in the United States. Designed as a quick clinical reference, it highlights current guideline-directed management strategies, risk stratification approaches and key considerations for identifying and treating resistant hypertension — along with insights into emerging therapies. By combining clinical pearls with actionable treatment information, this resource supports NPs in optimizing hypertension management and improving long-term cardiovascular outcomes for their patients.

This educational activity is supported by an independent medical educational grant from AstraZeneca.

The NP’s Guide to Helping Patients Reach Lipid Targets

This practical handout for the NP includes helpful information about the evaluation of patients with lipid abnormalities, risk assessment and treatment decision-making, and strategies for mitigating and managing side effects of statins. Resources are provided for managing the cost of medications.

Supported by an educational grant from Novartis.

Patient Education Tools and Resources

Type 2 Diabetes and Kidney Health

This practical and informational handout has been created to facilitate shared decision-making conversations between the NP and their patients about type 2 diabetes (T2D) and CKD. The checklist format enables users to easily keep track of information like recent kidney and diabetes lab tests, blood pressure readings, CKD stage and kidney-protective medications. In order to optimize kidney health, an individualized plan of care — incorporating lifestyle changes, treatments and referrals — is included.

This activity is supported by an independent medical educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company.

AANP Community

Engage, Learn, Network and Progress Practice in Cardiology

The AANP Cardiology Community offers a unique opportunity to interactively collaborate with colleagues who share an interest or clinical expertise in cardiology. As a community member, you’ll have access to a cutting-edge, online forum where you can engage in discussions, document sharing and knowledge exchange with fellow NPs. Come learn, share and help progress the development of theory and practice in cardiology.

Join the Cardiology Community

Cardiology Community Member Login

External Resources

Conveniently Curated Information From Other Top Sources

There are many resources available for both patients and providers. Some are listed below for your convenience. Inclusion of these links does not imply AANP endorsement.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Resources

Additional Resources

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