Heart failure (HF) affects 6.2 million people in the United States, with 1 million new cases occurring annually and a resultant 1 million hospitalizations, which translates into an annual estimated cost of over $30 billion dollars. Mortality with this condition is high, approximately 50% at five years. Implementation of the advances in management of heart failure have the potential to improve patients' quality of life, reduce the need for hospitalizations, reduce total medical costs, and prolong survival. This lecture will review the current evidence-based, guideline-recommended diagnosis and management of heart failure. You will learn the essential roles of evidence-based heart failure medications, device therapy, patient education, and disease management.

This talk on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) will review common clinical presentations, diagnostic workup, indications for imaging, and therapeutic options. The consequences of DVT, such as pulmonary embolism and stroke (in patients with patent foramen ovale), can be dire, and the faculty will provide strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality. You will dive into a detailed lesson on the medical therapy for DVT, which includes anticoagulation strategies using warfarin or the novel factor Xa inhibitors. After this session, you will know when to refer for more advanced invasive therapies and have insight into management of special populations. Please note that any data, indications, and guidelines presented in this activity are current as of the recording/release on February 9th, 2020, and they are subject to change as new information is published.

This program is designed to address some of the practical clinical issues from the recent literature. You will learn about controversies and caveats that will help you interpret recent updates. A few case examples of routine practice encounters will illustrate how to apply this new information in daily practice. Please note that any data, indications, and guidelines presented in this activity are current as of the recording/release on February 9, 2020, and they are subject to change as new information is published.

In this session, you will receive the most important cardiology updates from 2018-2019, including trial evidence for dietary supplements in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and new information about the blood cholesterol guidelines. The session will also provide advice on how to differentiate between opportunistic and systematic screening for atrial fibrillation as well as identify ways to conduct this screening in practice. Please note that any data, indications, and guidelines presented in this activity are current as of the recording/release on February 8th 2020 and they are subject to change as new information is published.

In this session, the speaker will discuss some challenging diagnostic cases that primary care practitioners may face in their practice. These cases will feature interpretation of laboratory and imaging studies as well as encounters with rare diseases and conditions. You will learn which aspects of the history and physical exam are most useful to establish certain diagnoses, increase your awareness of certain uncommon but “can’t miss” diagnoses, and become familiar with clinical decision aids that improve diagnostic accuracy for certain common diagnoses. Please note that any data, indications, and guidelines presented in this activity are current as of the recording/release on February 8th, 2020, and they are subject to change as new information is published.

What do primary care providers need to know about diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure? Dr. Matthew Freeby will address topics related to current type 2 diabetes care, with focus on education, medications and newer technologies. Dr. Karol Watson will discuss treatment and prevention of atrial fibrillation, and Dr. Jon Kobashigawa will discuss common questions about heart failure including risk factors, treatment options, lifestyle changes and prevention.

Coronary artery calcium can be a valuable tool to measure cardiovascular risk and to inform the treatment of hyperlipidemia in appropriately selected individuals. Join Dr. Ty Gluckman as he discusses the history, predictive value, and most effective use of coronary artery calcium.

Cardiology expert, Christian Ruff, MD, MPH & primary care specialist, Elaine Hylek, MD, MPH will review the latest research and recommendations for patients with polyvascular disease. The faculty also will discuss patient cases that cover long-term atherothrombotic risks, chronic coronary artery disease (CAD)/peripheral artery disease (PAD), benefits of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), and considerations for the multidisciplinary team.

Join Dr. Ty Gluckman and Dr. Rachel Bond as they discuss important areas in cardiology where primary care clinicians can make a big difference. These topics include recognizing aortic and thoracic aneurisms, including screening in appropriate populations. Also included are updates in lipids management.

Stay up to date with the latest USPSTF recommendations for screening and preventive interventions in primary care. Hear about important changes regarding which patients should be screened for colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and hepatitis C virus infection. Walk away from this session with a firm grasp of the evidence of benefits vs harms for each of these recommendations so that you and your patients are positioned to make the best decisions for their care.

Do you have questions about startegies to prevent cardiovascular disease in your patients? Dietary supplements are used by more than half of adult Americans, often with the hope that they are decreasing disease risk. Many of these supplements have undergone rigorous evaluation to assess their effect on cardiovascular outcomes. During this overview, cardiologist Dr. Ty Gluckman will review the clinical rationale for many dietary supplements and associated cardiovascular outcomes data. Management of hypertension is one of the most important strategies for preventing cardiovascular disease. During this session, cardiologist Dr. Karol Watson will discuss the appropriate way to screen for hypertension and review strategies to prevent hypertension. Following their presentation, speakers will answer questions from the audience.

Practice-changing updates to the medical literature that are hot off the presses! Join Dr. Pam Kushner to discuss important changes in the 2021 ADA guidelines and examine recently published research on atrial fibrillation, lipids, reducing cardiovascular risk, coconut oil, patient communication, and much more!