Program Overview

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and many regions of the world. Many patients, however, never achieve adequate control of CVD risk factors even when these factors have been identified. Cardiometabolic risk factors are the combined vascular and metabolic components of risk that may lead to a cardiovascular event. Underlying the concept of cardiometabolic risk is the interrelationship of obesity, hypertension, mixed dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. At present, these cardiometabolic risk factors are commonly managed on an individual basis. However, the clinical landscape is now evolving from an era of single risk-factor management to multiple risk-factor intervention in individuals at high risk for developing CVD.

This activity will discuss the interrelationship between cardiometabolic risk factors. Emerging strategies for attenuating global cardiometabolic risk will be presented.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Assess the rationale for using combination therapy to limit the progression of hypertensive disease and attenuate cardiometabolic risk

• Review current and emerging therapies, beyond low-density lipoprotein lowering, to reduce residual cardiovascular risk in patients with mixed dyslipidemia

• Apply an evidence-based approach to reducing cardiometabolic risk in patients with type 2 diabetes

• Design and implement therapeutic interventions to achieve successful weight loss and weight-loss maintenance in the clinical management of obesity

Target Audience

This activity was developed for cardiologists and other health care providers interested in learning more about reducing cardiometabolic risk in patients with hypertension, mixed dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Accreditation Statement

SciMed is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

SciMed designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty Disclosure

SciMed assesses conflicts of interest with its faculty and all individuals who are in a position to control the content of CME activities. All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are resolved by SciMed to ensure fair balance and scientific objectivity.

All SciMed personnel involved in the development of content for this activity have no relevant conflicts to report.

The materials for this activity were peer reviewed by Ajaykumar Rao, MD, Fellow, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr Rao has no relevant conflicts to report.

Activity Chairperson

Richard W. Nesto, MD
Chairman, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine
Chairman, Division of Internal Medicine
Lahey Clinic Medical Center
Burlington, Massachusetts
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Faculty

Arne Astrup, MD, PhD
Head, Department of Human Nutrition
Faculty of Life Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark

George L. Bakris, MD, FACP, FAHA, FASN
Professor of Medicine
Director, Hypertensive Diseases Unit
Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
University of Chicago
Pritzker School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

Jack L. Leahy, MD
Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
University of Vermont College of Medicine
Burlington, Vermont

Daniel J. Rader, MD
Cooper-McClure Professor of Medicine
Director, Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine and Lipid Clinic
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania