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Jointly Sponsored
by

FBHC

and

WHF

Online CME

CVD



Sandra J. Lewis, MD, FACC


CME Information



Sponsor: This activity is sponsored by The Foundation for Better Health Care.

Grantor: This activity is supported by an educational grant to the FBHC from King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Overview

With increased data supporting tighter control of blood pressure, it is vital for clinicians to understand the importance of this issue, as well as how to accomplish treatment goals most effectively. Duke University Medical Center researchers have found an interesting paradox about gender differences in heart disease: women have a greater burden of hypertension (HTN) than their male counterparts, and they receive more aggressive treatment for it, yet they obtain no better blood pressure control.

Since the researchers also found that the impact of HTN on mortality or recurrent cardiac events was similar between men and women, they believe that there are great opportunities to improve medical therapy and outcomes in women. Using drugs that act on the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is one of the most common approaches to influencing blood pressure. In fact, this approach has the largest body of research supporting efficacy, and studies demonstrate that these drugs affect more than just blood pressure.

Doctors managing patients with comorbidities can opt for an appropriate treatment for HTN that might also benefit other systems (eg, renoprotection in diabetic patients). Recent trials have shown that some agents are optimal choices in patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction or heart failure; others are beneficial in patients with renal insufficiency and provide micro- and macrovascular benefits in people with diabetes mellitus (DM), reduce the development of new cases of DM, or have a greater effect on stroke prevention.

Reference
1. Frazier CG, Shah SH, Armstrong PW, et al; SYMPHONY and the Second SYMPHONY Investigators. Prevalence and management of hypertension in acute coronary syndrome patients varies by sex: observations from the Sibrafiban versus aspirin to Yield Maximum Protection and management of hypertension in acute coronary from ischemic Heart events postacute cOroNary sYndromes (SYMPHONY) randomized clinical trials. Am Heart J. 2005;150:1260-1267. [Evidence Level A]

Intended Audience

This activity is designed for physicians and allied health professionals, such as nurse practitioners, nurses, and physician assistants, who provide women with principal and preventative healthcare.

Needs Assessment

Through needs assessment surveys, literature searches, advisory board suggestions, and previous meeting evaluations, The Foundation for Better Health Care has determined a need to address the current state of knowledge regarding the role of ACE inhibitors in CVD risk reduction.

Content Validation

The FBHC validates the content of its CME activities through a peer review process and by utilizing evidence-based medicine sources throughout the planning and implementation of its activities. Adopting the levels of evidence used by the American Academy of Family Physicians 1 and the principles of evidence-based medicine outlined by Sackett et al,2 the FBHC rates the level of evidence of the literature used to determine needs and learning objectives, as well as all data cited and presented.

All recommendations involving clinical medicine are based on evidence that is accepted within the profession of medicine as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients. Further, all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in support or justification of a patient care recommendation conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.

Levels of Evidence1



Learning Objectives

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



Accreditation

The Foundation for Better Health Care is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Foundation for Better Health Care takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity.

Credit Designation

The Foundation for Better Health Care designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This Activity has been evaluated and approved by the Continuing Education Approval Program of the National Association of Nurse Practitioner in Women's Health for 1.5 contact hours of continuing education. NPWH Activity no CE 06-15. Each participant should claim only those contact hours that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

Method of Clinician Participation

View the archived symposium and complete the posttest at click here. A minimum score of 80% must be obtained for credit to be awarded by the FBHC. There is no fee for this activity. Credit for the posttest is available until July 18, 2008.

Identifying and Resolving Conflicts of Interest

The FBHC requires all planning committee members, faculty, teachers, authors, and staff of a CME activity to identify all relevant financial relationships that benefit the individual and his or her spouse or partner in any financial amount within the past 12 months. Such relationships may create the opportunity to affect the content of CME regarding the products or services of the commercial interest.

The FBHC has created the FBHC Committee to Identify and Resolve Conflicts of Interest, which reviews Faculty and Staff Disclosure Statements, identifies and resolves conflicts of interest, and determines the level of participation of planning committee members, faculty members, teachers, and authors.

Faculty

Prakash Deedwania, MD, FAHA, FCCP, FACP, FACC
Chief, Cardiology Division
VACCHCS/UCSF
Fresno, CA
Professor of Medicine
School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA


Independent Reviewer

Margaret Nachtigall, MD
Assistant Professor
New York University Medical Center
New York, New York


Faculty and Reviewer Disclosures

It is the policy of The Foundation for Better Health Care to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its sponsored educational activities. All faculty are expected to disclose to the activity audience any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest related to the content of their presentation(s). The following relationships have been disclosed:

Dr. Deedwania discloses the following:


Margaret Nachtigall, MD


FBHC Staff Disclosure

The FBHC, in keeping with the ACCME's Essential Areas and their Elements and Standards for Commercial Support, has asked each FBHC staff member who has developed and/or reviewed content for this activity to disclose to learners all financial relationships, including those of their spouse or partner, with the manufacturer(s) of any pharmaceutical product(s), device(s), or providers of commercial services in any financial amount within the past 12 months. The FBHC staff members have disclosed the following:



Eresso Aga, Scientific Director


LaTanya Brown, Project Director


Michelle Dien, Project Director


Annika Dronge, MD, Medical Director


Susan Duff, Managing Editor


Louise Farkas, Sr. Editor/Writer


Michael Hite, CEO


Lauren Janay, Content Coordinator


Nancy Larsen, Consultant


Nina Leeds, PhD, Scientific Director


Andrew McCrea, PhD, Executive Director


Natacha Menar, Sr. Editor/Writer


Sejal Patel, Senior Account Manager


Judy Seraphine, Consultant


Simone Stromer, MD, Medical Director


Emilie Wang, PhD, Scientific Director


Diane Zuckerman, RPh, Consultant


FBHC Disclosure Statement

The views expressed are those of the author(s). It should not be inferred or assumed that this publication expresses the views of Daiichi Sankyo, or any other manufacturer of pharmaceuticals. The Foundation for Better Health Care (FBHC) is an independent professional organization that does not endorse specific products of any pharmaceutical concern. This FBHC CME activity has been independently planned by the FBHC.

All rights reserved, including translation into other languages. No part of this Webcast may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or storage in information storage and retrieval systems-without permission in writing from The Foundation for Better Health Care, 33 East 33nd Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016.
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Release date:
July 18, 2007

Expiration date:
July 18, 2008

Estimated time to complete:
1.5 hours

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