AAFP Care of Cardiovascular Conditions Edition 4 (2024)

Introduction

AAFP Care of Cardiovascular Conditions Edition 4 (2024) is a comprehensive cardiovascular medicine CME program developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians specifically for primary care physicians and frontline clinicians managing cardiovascular disease in outpatient practice.

Focused on practical cardiovascular prevention, diagnosis, risk stratification, and chronic disease management, this on-demand educational program helps family physicians strengthen their ability to identify, evaluate, and manage the leading cardiovascular conditions contributing to morbidity and mortality in adults.

The course emphasizes:

• Evidence-based cardiovascular prevention
• Cardiovascular risk assessment
• Heart failure management
• Hypertension treatment
• Lipid disorders
• Coronary artery disease
• ECG interpretation
• Advanced cardiac imaging
• Cardiometabolic medicine
• Lifestyle and preventive cardiology
• Emerging pharmacologic therapies

while integrating the impact of lifestyle behaviors and social determinants of health into cardiovascular care.

Course Overview

This comprehensive on-demand CME program provides updated protocols, practical diagnostic strategies, and contemporary cardiovascular management recommendations for clinicians in primary care and ambulatory medicine.

Educational Focus

• Cardiovascular disease prevention
• Chronic cardiovascular disease management
• Risk factor modification
• Diagnostic cardiovascular evaluation
• ECG interpretation
• Hypertension management
• Lipid management
• Heart failure care
• Cardiometabolic medicine
• Preventive cardiology

Program Format

• On-demand video lectures
• Expert faculty instruction
• Clinical practice updates
• Case-based discussions
• Practical outpatient management strategies
• Evidence-based guideline review

The curriculum integrates family medicine, preventive cardiology, internal medicine, vascular medicine, endocrinology, and outpatient cardiovascular management into one practical educational system.

Educational Goals

Participants completing this program will strengthen their ability to:

• Identify cardiovascular risk factors early
• Apply updated cardiovascular prevention strategies
• Diagnose and manage common cardiovascular diseases
• Interpret ECGs in outpatient practice
• Utilize advanced cardiovascular imaging appropriately
• Optimize hypertension and lipid management
• Improve heart failure care and reduce readmissions
• Apply newer cardiovascular pharmacotherapies appropriately
• Integrate lifestyle medicine into cardiovascular care
• Manage cardiovascular comorbidities in primary care settings

The course combines preventive medicine, evidence-based cardiovascular care, outpatient diagnostics, and modern therapeutic strategies into a highly practical learning experience.

Core Topics Covered

Advanced Cardiac Imaging

Presented by Craig Barstow

Topics include:

• Appropriate cardiac imaging selection
• CT and MRI applications
• Echocardiography interpretation principles
• Outpatient cardiovascular imaging strategies

Hyperlipidemia & ASCVD Prevention

Advanced Concepts – Hyperlipidemia: Beyond Statins

Presented by Kate Kirley

Educational areas include:

• Nonstatin lipid therapies
• PCSK9 inhibitors
• Advanced lipid management
• Residual cardiovascular risk reduction

Advanced Lipid Testing & ASCVD Risk Assessment

Presented by Julia Jenkins

Topics include:

• ApoB and advanced lipid markers
• ASCVD risk prediction
• Preventive cardiology strategies
• Personalized cardiovascular prevention

Statin Use & Dietary Management

Presented by Kate Kirley

Focus includes:

• Statin therapy optimization
• Nutritional interventions
• Dietary cardiovascular prevention
• Lifestyle modification counseling

Hypertension Management

Hypertension

Presented by Jonathon Firnhaber

Core topics include:

• Guideline-directed hypertension treatment
• Ambulatory blood pressure management
• Medication strategies
• Cardiovascular risk reduction

Resistant Hypertension

Presented by Darrell Jones

Topics include:

• Secondary hypertension evaluation
• Resistant hypertension workup
• Medication optimization
• Referral considerations

Primary Aldosteronism

Presented by Darrell Jones

Educational focus includes:

• Screening strategies
• Endocrine hypertension
• Diagnostic evaluation
• Management principles

Hypertensive Emergencies

Presented by Darrell Jones

Topics include:

• Acute blood pressure crises
• Emergency management
• Target organ injury recognition
• Hospital referral decisions

Coronary Artery Disease & Ischemic Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease: Fire in the Arteries

Presented by David Schneider

Topics include:

• Stable ischemic heart disease
• Coronary risk reduction
• Diagnostic evaluation
• Outpatient CAD management

Aspirin Use for Primary Prevention

Presented by Suraj Achar

Focus areas include:

• Risk-benefit assessment
• Bleeding risk evaluation
• Updated prevention guidelines
• Shared decision-making

Colchicine in Cardiovascular Disease

Presented by Jonathon Firnhaber

Educational emphasis includes:

• Anti-inflammatory cardiovascular therapy
• Secondary prevention
• Chronic coronary disease management
• Emerging clinical trial evidence

Heart Failure & Cardiomyopathy

Heart Failure: Strategies to Decrease Readmission

Presented by Eddie Needham

Topics include:

• Guideline-directed medical therapy
• Outpatient HF monitoring
• Readmission prevention
• Transitional care strategies

Cardiomyopathy

Presented by Craig Barstow

Educational content includes:

• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Diagnostic imaging
• Clinical management strategies

Atrial Fibrillation & ECG Interpretation

Atrial Fibrillation

Presented by Jonathon Firnhaber

Topics include:

• AF diagnosis and treatment
• Stroke prevention
• Anticoagulation strategies
• Rhythm vs rate control

ECG Interpretation

Presented by Jonathon Firnhaber

Focus includes:

• Systematic ECG analysis
• Arrhythmia recognition
• Ischemic ECG findings
• Outpatient ECG interpretation

The Abnormal ECG in Primary Care

Presented by Darrell Jones

Topics include:

• High-risk ECG findings
• Referral decisions
• Primary care ECG triage
• Diagnostic pitfalls

Vascular & Cerebrovascular Disease

Carotid Vessel Disease

Presented by Gaurav Parmar

Educational topics include:

• Carotid artery disease
• Stroke prevention
• Vascular imaging
• Medical vs procedural treatment

Cerebrovascular Aneurysm

Presented by Craig Barstow

Focus areas include:

• Aneurysm diagnosis
• Stable aneurysm management
• Post-stroke care
• Neurologic follow-up

Venous Thromboembolism

Presented by Suraj Achar

Topics include:

• DVT and PE diagnosis
• Outpatient anticoagulation
• Delayed diagnosis prevention
• Risk stratification

Cardiometabolic & Lifestyle Medicine

SGLT2 Inhibitors & GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

Presented by Jonathon Firnhaber

Topics include:

• Cardiovascular outcome benefits
• Diabetes and heart disease
• Obesity management
• Heart failure applications

Non-Pharmacologic Approaches to Cardiovascular Disease

Presented by Kate Kirley

Educational emphasis includes:

• Lifestyle medicine
• Exercise prescription
• Nutrition counseling
• Behavioral cardiovascular prevention

Additional Topics

Other important sessions include:

• Cardiovascular physical examination
• Renovascular disease
• Perioperative cardiovascular evaluation
• Cardiovascular risk calculators
• Medical apps in clinical practice
• Common cardiovascular comorbidities

Educational Experience & Learning Features

AAFP Care of Cardiovascular Conditions Edition 4 combines practical primary care cardiology education with evidence-based outpatient management strategies.

Educational features include:

• Expert-led lectures
• Practical clinical protocols
• Outpatient-focused management
• ECG interpretation training
• Cardiometabolic medicine updates
• Preventive cardiology education
• Evidence-based guideline reviews
• Case-based learning

The course integrates family medicine, cardiovascular prevention, chronic disease management, and outpatient diagnostics into a clinically practical learning experience.

Who Should Attend

This course is especially valuable for:

• Family physicians
• Internal medicine physicians
• Primary care clinicians
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician assistants
• Preventive medicine clinicians
• Ambulatory care providers
• Cardiometabolic medicine practitioners

The curriculum is highly relevant for clinicians managing cardiovascular disease in outpatient and primary care settings.

Why This Course Stands Out

Primary Care-Focused Cardiovascular Education

Tailored specifically to outpatient and family medicine practice.

Strong Preventive Cardiology Emphasis

Focuses heavily on ASCVD prevention and risk reduction.

Comprehensive Cardiometabolic Coverage

Integrates hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and lipid management.

Practical Clinical Application

Provides highly actionable outpatient management strategies.

Evidence-Based Guideline Updates

Incorporates modern cardiovascular prevention recommendations.

Clinical Value

AAFP Care of Cardiovascular Conditions Edition 4 delivers a highly practical and clinically relevant cardiovascular medicine curriculum by integrating:

• Preventive cardiology
• Hypertension management
• Lipid disorders
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart failure
• ECG interpretation
• Cardiomyopathy
• Atrial fibrillation
• Vascular disease
• Cardiometabolic medicine
• Lifestyle interventions
• Advanced cardiac imaging

into a comprehensive outpatient cardiovascular education program.

For clinicians seeking:

• Cardiovascular CME
• Practical primary care cardiology education
• Updated prevention strategies
• ECG interpretation skills
• Hypertension and lipid management expertise
• Outpatient cardiovascular care optimization

AAFP Care of Cardiovascular Conditions Edition 4 remains an excellent cardiovascular medicine resource for primary care clinicians.