Course Description/Overview

This CME-accredited CME Snapshot™ highlights program compiles the key takeaways from a seven-part series intended for interventional cardiologists, other cardiologists, lipidologists, endocrinologists, and other diabetologist physicians involved in the ongoing management of patients with persistent hypercholesterolemia. During this activity, expert faculty will participate in a series of interactive discussions on the latest evidence and their clinical experience with identifying and managing patients with persistently elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels using nonstatin lipid-lowering medications, including protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors.

Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of interventional cardiologists, other cardiologists, lipidologists, endocrinologists, and diabetologist physicians involved in the ongoing management of patients with persistent hypercholesterolemia.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of these activities, participants should be better able to do the following:

  1. Identify patients with persistent hypercholesterolemia at particularly high risk for poor cardiovascular outcomes who are appropriate candidates for intensified lipid-lowering regimens
  2. Compare novel nonstatin LDL-C-lowering medications, such as PCSK9 inhibitors, based on efficacy, safety, and dosing in various patient populations
  3. Describe study designs and available evidence from recent long-term cardiovascular outcomes trials examining nonstatin lipid-lowering medications, including clinical implications of published data for various patient types
  4. Tailor lipid-lowering treatment regimens based on clinical practice guidelines and consensus recommendations, individual patient risk factors, comorbidities, and prior treatment responses
  5. Collaborate with patients with persistent hypercholesterolemia and other providers to optimize nonstatin lipid-lowering regimens across the healthcare continuum

Faculty

Christie M. Ballantyne, MD, FACP, FACC
Professor of Medicine
Chief, Sections of Cardiovascular Research & Cardiology
Director, The Maria and Alando J. Ballantyne, M.D., Atherosclerosis Clinical Research Laboratory
Baylor College of Medicine
Director, Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Houston, Texas

Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Executive Director, Interventional Cardiovascular Programs
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Senior Investigator, Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Study Group
Boston, Massachusetts

Christopher P. Cannon, MD
Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Senior Physician, Cardiovascular Division
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Executive Director, Cardiometabolic Trials
Baim Institute for Clinical Research
Boston, Massachusetts

Sergio Fazio, MD, PhD
The William and Sonja Connor
Chair of Preventive Cardiology
Professor of Medicine and Physiology & Pharmacology
Director, Center for Preventive Cardiology
Knight Cardiovascular Institute
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, Oregon

Marc S. Sabatine, MD, MPH
Chairman, TIMI Study Group
Lewis Dexter, MD, Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

It is the policy of the Elsevier Office of Continuing Medical Education that all faculty, instructors, and planners disclose any real or apparent conflicts of interest relating to the topics of these educational activities.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of these CME activities:

Christie M. Ballantyne, MD, FACP, FACC: Grant/Research: Abbott Diagnostics, Amarin Corporation, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Amgen Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., National Institutes of Health, Novartis Corporation, Pfizer Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Roche Diagnostics, Sanofi-Synthelabo SA; Consultant: Abbott Diagnostics, Amarin Corporation, Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Matinas BioPharma Holdings Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis Corporation, Novo Nordisk Inc., Pfizer Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Roche Diagnostics, Sanofi-Synthelabo SA

Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH: Grant/Research: Abbott Laboratories, Amarin Corporation, Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Chiesi USA, Inc., Eisai Inc., Ethicon US, LLC, Forest Laboratories, Inc., Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ischemix, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Medtronic PLC, Pfizer Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Regeneron sanofi, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, The Medicines Company

Christopher P. Cannon, MD: Grant/Research: Amgen Inc., Arisaph Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.; Consulting: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Amarin Corporation, Amgen Inc., Arisaph Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Eisai Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., LipoMedix Pharmaceutical Inc. , Merck & Co. Inc., Pfizer Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A., Inc.

Sergio Fazio, MD, PhD: Consultant/Advisor: Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Amarin Corporation, Ackea Therapeutics, Inc., Amgen Inc., Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.

Marc S. Sabatine, MD, MPH: Grant/Research (for Brigham and Women’s Hospital): Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Daiichi-Sankyo Company, Limited, Eisai Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., Janssen Research and Development, LLC, The Medicines Company, MedImmune, LLC; Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis Corporation, Pfizer Inc., Poxel SA, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A., Inc; Consultant: Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, CVS Caremark, Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., Janssen Research & Development, LLC, The Medicines Company, MedImmune, LLC, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis Corporation

Non-faculty

Jim Kappler, PhD; Sandy Breslow; Alison Kemp; and Bernard M. Abrams, MD, hereby state that neither they nor their spouses/life partners have any financial relationships to products or devices with any commercial interest related to the content of these activities of any amount during the past 12 months. 

Financial Support

This activity has been supported by an independent educational grant from Sanofi US and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

CME Credit (Physicians)

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Elsevier Office of Continuing Medical Education and Integritas Communications. The Elsevier Office of Continuing Medical Education is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Elsevier Office of Continuing Medical Education designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in each activity.

CME Inquiries/Special Needs

For all CME inquiries or special needs, please contact elsevierCME@elsevier.com.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. The Elsevier Office of Continuing Medical Education, Integritas Communications, and Sanofi US and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of the patient’s conditions and possible contraindications or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

Course Instructions

In order to claim credit, participants must complete the following:

  1. Read the educational objectives, accreditation information, and faculty disclosures at the beginning of each activity
  2. Complete the Pre-Activity Questions.
  3. Read or review the activity content.
  4. Complete the Post-Activity Test Questions and Evaluation.
  5. A physician who achieves a grade of 70% or better on the Postactivity Test and who completes the Evaluation will receive a CME Certificate.
  6. Any other participant who achieves a grade of 70% or better on the Postactivity Test and who completes the Evaluation will receive a Certificate of Participation.
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