The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Self-Assessment Program (JHU-SAP™) is a clinical problem-solving, evidence-based continuing education program of active engagement. It is designed to objectively assess and strengthen your knowledge of non-HDL-cholesterol and provide you with a better understanding of its use in managing patients with dyslipidemia. You can complete JHU-SAP™ at your own pace, whenever and wherever you choose. JHU-SAP™ is available as a complimentary, web-bas...

Objectives: 1. Review the pathophysiology of cholesterol homestasis. 2. Indentify tradional cardiac risk factors. 3. Determine appropriate lipid management goals based on current guidelines. 4. Recommend appropriate therapy for lipid ;management based on current guidelines. 5. Recognize the difference between atherosclerotic indicators other than low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol.

Management of cardiovascular disease is a rapidly changing area of clinical practice, with emerging research and practice altering widely accepted tenets. While the importance of treating dyslipidemias based on cardiovascular risk factors is highlighted by the NCEP ATP III clinical practice guidelines, recent clinical trials reveal the focus on dyslipidemia treatment cannot solely rely on aggressive LDL-C targets. The study shows that subjects who received treatment and achieved significant ...

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disease caused by an autosomal dominant mutation in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. Individuals with FH have elevated levels of LDL- cholesterol (LDL-C) despite dietary and lifestyle modifications and are at increased risk for premature coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction at a young age. Thus, early detection and aggressive management of LDL-C is critical in preventing or retarding the progression of coronary athero...

Session 1 – Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - Minimizing Risk of Cardiovascular Disease by Managing Hypertension: An Overview of Pharmacotherapy, Current Evidence and Future Guideline Recommendations Session 2 – Thursday, January 17, 2013 - Contemporary Pharmacotherapy For The Treatment Of Dyslipidemia: LDL Cholesterol Lowering And Beyond Session 3 – Friday, January 18, 2013 - Recent Innovations In Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout Pharmacotherapy

Target Audience This activity is for osteopathic physicians and other healthcare professionals who care for people with lipid disorders and/or CKD. Statement of Need Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health burden in the United States, with estimates of nearly 20 million affected. More than 10% of the US population has some form of CKD. Although many CKD patients will develop renal failure, most will die of cardiovascular disease (CVD) before dialysis becomes necessary. National g...

Purpose Statement A 10-year follow up of the original Lipid Treatment Assessment Project (L-TAP) survey was recently published. Overall, 73% of patients reached their LDL-C goal; in high-risk patients, the rate was 67%. Despite this improvement, in high-risk patients (i.e., CHD plus ≥2 major risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and smoking), the results are less impressive as one third of these patients remain inadequately treated. Using the more recently recommended optional LDL-C ...

Renal disease is a common and serious comorbidity for patients with cardiovascular disease. The SHARP Trial demonstrated that cholesterol lowering with a combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe in patients with renal disease resulted in a significant reduction in major arteriosclerotic events. This data provides important evidence for primary care and specialists alike that cholesterol lowering can reduce cardiovascular events in patients with renal disease, including those on dialysis. Leadi...

Diabetes significantly increases a patient’s risk of atherosclerotic events. Leading clinicians will evaluate and explain how the implementation of therapeutic lifestyle changes, diet and exercise along with appropriate medication can improve HDL levels and attenuate cardiovascular risk in the patient with type 2 diabetes. The safety and efficacy of treatment strategies for diabetic dyslipidemia will be addressed, including CETP inhibition, an emerging approach that increases HDL concentrati...

Diabetes significantly increases a patient’s risk of atherosclerotic events. Leading clinicians will evaluate and explain how the implementation of therapeutic lifestyle changes, diet and exercise along with appropriate medication can improve HDL levels and attenuate cardiovascular risk in the patient with type 2 diabetes. The safety and efficacy of treatment strategies for diabetic dyslipidemia will be addressed, including CETP inhibition, an emerging approach that increases HDL concentrati...

Managing patients with dyslipidemia can be uniquely demanding, as clinicians are often required to determine appropriate combination therapy to achieve LDL, HDL, and non-HDL treatment goals, while accounting for patient variables, such as statin intolerance and comorbidities including hypothyroidism. In this program, leading clinicians will describe strategies to better individualize therapy to improve outcomes for the most challenging cases.

Diabetes significantly increases a patient’s risk of atherosclerotic events. In this monograph, leading clinicians will evaluate and explain how the implementation of therapeutic lifestyle changes, diet, and exercise along with appropriate medication can improve HDL levels and attenuate cardiovascular risk in the patient with type 2 diabetes. The safety and efficacy of treatment strategies for dyslipidemia concomitant to diabetes will be addressed, including CETP inhibition, an emerging appr...

Diabetes significantly increases a patient’s risk of atherosclerotic events. In this monograph, leading clinicians will evaluate and explain how the implementation of therapeutic lifestyle changes, diet, and exercise along with appropriate medication can improve HDL levels and attenuate cardiovascular risk in the patient with type 2 diabetes. The safety and efficacy of treatment strategies for dyslipidemia concomitant to diabetes will be addressed, including CETP inhibition, an emerging appr...

Low levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. Statins have been shown to increase HDL, and have resulted in a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in clinical trials. The effects of individual statins vary, and their overall impact must be considered when selecting an agent. Not all patients experience a sufficient elevation of HDL on statin therapy, and may require supplemental therapy.

Program Overview Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). While the link between CVD and CKD is apparent, primary care providers are not effectively screening and treating patients with renal disease who are at enhanced risk for cardiovascular disease and events. Physicians should institute appropriate screening techniques into practice to be better able to identify patients with CKD, since they are at incr...

The success of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction to improve cardiovascular outcomes is now well recognized. Yet, despite optimal LDL-C management, patients with low HDL-C remain at increased risk. To date, efforts to raise HDL-C by pharmacologic means have not shown a clinical benefit. This series examines the “HDL hypothesis”—that the benefits of modifying HDL are mediated through several atheroprotective mechanisms—and explores possible new agents for raising HDL-C.

Diabetes is a significant health concern in the United States especially for older adults. Roughly a quarter of all individuals over the age of 60 have diabetes, with the majority of cases being type 2 diabetes. Older individuals may experience critical health consequences of uncontrolled diabetes, including accelerated aging and increased rates of premature death and disability. In addition, older individuals are also more likely to have comorbidities such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, an...

An expert panel of vitreoretinal surgeons highlights the key findings from recent pivotal clinical trials that investigated efficacy of various therapeutic strategies in the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). Faculty emphasizes the need for individualizing DME treatment based on specific clinical circumstances. Clinical examples are provided that reinforce the concept that unattended comorbid conditions in the diabetic population (i.e., systemic hypertension, dyslipidemia) can adversel...

In this program designed to address obesity, one of the nation’s most significant public health crises, leading clinicians will address the impact of excess weight on a patient’s overall health, including co-morbidities such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, osteoarthritis, renal disease and sleep apnea. The latest data on obesity management strategies, from behavior modification and meal replacement to updates on pharmacotherapy and the latest devices will be presented. Specialists will also dis...

In this program designed to address obesity, one of the nation’s most significant public health crises, leading clinicians will address the impact of excess weight on a patient’s overall health, including co-morbidities such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, osteoarthritis, renal disease and sleep apnea. The latest data on obesity management strategies, from behavior modification and meal replacement to updates on pharmacotherapy and the latest devices will be presented. Specialists will also dis...

Although physicians are responsible for directing and prescribing care for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), nurses play a vital role in promoting adherence to practice guidelines. This course begins with an overview of the scope of the problem and its economic impact on health care in the United States. An overview of the pathophysiology of ACS and its underlying disease process, coronary artery disease (CAD), will be presented to provide background for understanding specific pract...

In this program designed to address obesity, one of the nation’s most significant public health crises, leading clinicians will address the impact of excess weight on a patient’s overall health, including co-morbidities such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, osteoarthritis, renal disease and sleep apnea. The latest data on obesity management strategies, from behavior modification and meal replacement to updates on pharmacotherapy and the latest devices will be presented. Specialists will also dis...

In this program designed to address obesity, one of the nation’s most significant public health crises, leading clinicians will address the impact of excess weight on a patient’s overall health, including co-morbidities such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, osteoarthritis, renal disease and sleep apnea. The latest data on obesity management strategies, from behavior modification and meal replacement to updates on pharmacotherapy and the latest devices will be presented. Specialists will also dis...

Clinicians face an important challenge in reducing CHD risk in patients with dyslipidemia. The use of combination therapy is an acknowledged strategy in optimal management to prevent or delay the morbidity and mortality associated with CHD and its risk factors. In this program, experts in the field of lipidology discuss the latest findings in the management of cardiovascular risk and highlight advances in novel approaches, such as cholesteryl ester transfer protein modulation, to beneficially ...

Program Overview Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common autosomal dominant genetic disorder associated with premature cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of heterozygous FH is as high as 1 in 67 for some founder populations such as Ashkenazi Jewish, French Canadians, or Lebanese populations. Primary care clinicians play an important role in identifying and initiating treatment in these patients. Appropriate management of FH patients through early detection, aggressive treatment, ...

STATEMENT OF NEED The need for this educational activity has been established according to ACCME standards by expert assessment of a wide range of sources, including in-depth review of relevant medical literature, analysis of available quality of care and practice gap studies, and expert opinion as reflected in the faculty members' choices of topics and content. The resulting educational activity will include fair and balanced information on relevant therapies, including efficacy, side effec...

How2Torial™ Diabetes in the Elderly: Best Practices in Personalizing Multimodal Therapy Educational Objectives At the completion of this activity, participants should be better prepared to: • Craft individualized glucose treatment goals based on a patient’s specific clinical profile and comorbidities • Utilize patient education materials to ensure optimal adherence to the treatment plan and effective self-monitoring • Monitor and adjust therapy to reach treatment goals, while ...

This course is designed to change physician competence in managing patients with complex metabolic disease and patient management problems by selecting evidence-based therapeutic targets and regimens. We will use guidelines based on cardiovascular risk classification and comorbidities for lipid management, identifying components of the clinical characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in order to modify risk, using a state-of-the-art blueprint to manage the obesity epidemic, and associating i...

Intended Audience This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of managed care pharmacy directors, clinical pharmacists, quality directors, medical directors, and other healthcare professionals involved in the management of patients with diabetes. Statement of Educational Need/Program Overview The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate, affecting up to 8% of the US population, with the majority of these patients cared for in primary care settings....