Accreditation

Release Date: November 1, 2011
Expiration Date: October 31, 2013

Program Overview
The Preventive Cardiology Self-Assessment Program (PC-SAP)is a multiple-choice question assessment designed to objectively assess, strengthen and reinforce knowledge in the areas of dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension.

Target Audience
Cardiologists, General Internists, Primary Care Physicians, Nephrologists, and Family Practitioners with an interest in dyslipidemia, diabetes, and/or hypertension.

Learning Objectives

Volume I - Dyslipidemia
Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Outline HDL metabolism and potential therapeutic targets;
• Describe the role of HDL in atherogenesis;
• Manage complex cases of dyslipidemia;
• Discuss the etiology of various types of complex dyslipidemia and the role of biomarkers;
• Provide an explanation for the mechanisms behind the formation of small dense LDL and HDL;
• Describe the effects of non-pharmacological and drug treatment on LDL and HDL subfractions;
• Recognize the role of inflammatory markers, hs-CRP, Lp-PLA2 and myleoperoxidase in assessing cardiovascular risk and modifying therapeutic approaches;
• Discuss new clinical trial evidence on the need for aggressive control of lipoproteins to improve patient outcomes;
• Define mechanisms of LDL reduction;
• Discuss safety and pharmacokinetics of pharmacologic therapy;
• Discuss updates on the vascular biology of atherosclerosis;
• Analyze the interactions of atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity in cardiovascular disease.

Volume II - Diabetes
Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the incretin system: science and application;
• Evaluate and apply traditional therapies for type 2 diabetes, including thiazolidinediones, biguanides, alpha-glucosidaseinhibitors, colesevelam, ranolizine, meglitinides, sulfonylureas;
• Evaluate and apply insulin use for the management of type 2 diabetes: high-risk patient, hospitalized patient, outgoing management, dosing, glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pumps;
• Apply the genomics and biomarkers for the prediction of type 2 diabetes;
• Discuss the rationale for early intervention and diagnosis of patients with type 2 diabetes;
• Identify best practices in addressing pre-diabetes: lifestyle intervention and pharmacotherapy;
• Discuss how insulin resistance affects the management of type 2 diabetes;
• Describe the stages, progression, treatment, and monitoring of chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes;
• Describe the interrelationship between diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis as cardiometabolic risk factors and what roles insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction play in these disease processes;
• Evaluate glycemic control as a strategy to improve microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes in the pre-diabetic and diabetic patient;
• Assess current and emerging therapeutics for intensive glycemic control, including combination therapies, for safety and clinical outcomes;
• Implement in-office strategies to identify high cardiovascular risk (CHD) patients and utilize national guidelines for goal achievement.

Volume III - Hypertension
Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Treat complicated hypertension with multiple comorbidities;
• Implement effective combination therapy for hypertension;
• Describe the emergency management of hypertension;
• Discuss pathophysiologic mechanisms that lead to hypertension in patients with the cardiometabolic syndrome, particularly in patients with type 2 diabetes;
• Discuss current strategies for evaluating hypertension in the at-risk individual;
• Recognize the potential clinical interrelationships among hypertension, renal disease, diabetes, and increased cardiovascular risk;
• Design/implement efficient and effective outpatient treatment regimens targeting hypertension in patients with cardiometabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes.

Criteria for Success
In order to receive credit for this enduring monograph, participants should read the entire monograph, complete and submit answer sheets and evaluation. A statement of credit will be mailed/e-mailed to participants 4-6 weeks of successful completion. If you have questions about this CME/CE activity, please contact the AKH at service@akhealthcare.com. The estimated time for completion of this activity is 35 hours for Volume I, 40 hours for Volume II, and 30 hours for Volume III.

Physicians who return the completed MCQ answer sheet for scoring, and review and evaluate the ensuing Critique Book, will receive a Statement of Continuing Education Credit from AKH, if you obtain a greater-than-chance (30% or greater) total score on your Performance Score Report.

CME credit provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare

Physicians
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of AKH Inc. and The American Society for Preventive Cardiology. AKH Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. AKH Inc. designates these enduring activities: Volume I for a maximum of 35 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ Volume II for a maximum of 40 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and Volume III for a maximum of 30 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Commercial Support
There is no support for this activity.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use and Investigational Product
This educational activity may include discussion of uses of agents that are investigational and/or unapproved by the FDA. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer
This course is designed solely to provide the healthcare professional with information to assist in his/her practice and professional development and is not to be considered a diagnostic tool to replace professional advice or treatment. The course serves as a general guide to the healthcare professional, and therefore, cannot be considered as giving legal, nursing, medical, or other professional advice in specific cases. AKH Inc. and ASPC specifically disclaim responsibility for any adverse consequences resulting directly or indirectly from information in the course, for undetected error, or through reader's misunderstanding of the content.

Disclosure Declaration
It is the policy of ASPC and AKH Inc. to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. The faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with commercial interests whose products or devices may be mentioned in the activity or with the commercial supporter of this continuing education activity. Identified conflict of interest is resolved by ASPC and AKH prior to accreditation of the activity. ASPC and AKH planners and reviewers have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.