CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

7:30 a.m. – Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – Welcome / Introduction

• Understand common and less common risk factors for aortic dissection
• Know the physical examination and radiographic pitfalls in the diagnosis of aortic dissection
• Recognize atypical and subtle presentations of aortic dissection
• Understand the reasons for missed or delayed diagnosis

• Integrate current guidelines for anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter in clinical practice
• Understand application of anticoagulation for patients with valvular heart disease (native, tissue, and mechanical)
• Review guidelines for anticoagulation interruption for non cardiac procedures

• Understand specificity of tests for clinical diagnosis
• Review conditions causing clinical false positives
• Clinical significance of elevated troponin with normal CPK and CPK-MB
• Understand the value of serial testing - Especially persistently elevated BNP with CHF patients

• Recognize the Epidemiology and CV manifestations of sleep apnea
• Learn about the diagnostic criteria for different types of sleep apnea
• Understand the role of CPAP in therapy of CHF secondary to sleep apnea

10:15 am Morning Break and Refreshments

• Review and contrast clinical presentations and prognostic issues in this unique patient population - how do they differ?
• Discuss diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for the Non-Q-wave myocardial infarction - special considerations in the elderly
• Review data regarding management strategies and outcomes in the elderly STEMI patient.
• Applying future “cost effective” practices with our limited health care dollars

• Understand the physiologic and psychologic aspects of nicotine addiction
• Review different treatment strategies for tobacco cessation and their effectiveness
• Help practitioners formulate successful treatment plans for individual patients

12:00-1:00 Lunch Break

• Understand the natural clinical course of carotid artery disease
• Review the role of different diagnostic modalities for diagnosis and monitoring of carotid artery disease
• Review treatment options and their clinical justifications in different subgroups

• Understand the role of carotid ultrasound in detecting vascular disease and guiding treatment
• Understand the role of urine microalbuminuria, glycosylated hemoglobin as it relates to the dysmetabolic syndrome
• Explain how treatment impacts serial testing and prognosis

• Treatment options in patients with stable coronary disease - analysis of the COURAGE trial on revascularization and its implications to patient care.
• The ENHANCE trial on comparing combination therapy with single agent statin therapy
• Review study data regarding cardiac risk for patients on oral diabetic therapy
• Use clinical data to formulate treatment options for patients