Houston Methodist 5th Annual Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Symposium 2026

Preventive Cardiology • Cardiovascular Risk Assessment • CKM Health • Hypertension • Obesity • Dyslipidemia • Biomarkers • Renal Denervation • Cardiovascular Prevention

The Houston Methodist 5th Annual Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Symposium 2026 provides a focused, evidence-based update on contemporary cardiovascular disease prevention, with emphasis on identifying, assessing, and modifying the major risk factors responsible for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Held on April 11, 2026, and presented by the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, this educational symposium examines current strategies for preventing heart attacks, heart failure, arrhythmias, and other cardiovascular conditions through early risk detection, lifestyle modification, medical therapy, and appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

The program addresses key areas of modern preventive cardiology, including cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular risk stratification, blood and imaging biomarkers, artificial intelligence–based risk assessment, lipid management, non-statin LDL-C lowering therapies, and contemporary cardiovascular prevention guidelines.

Course Details

• Course: 5th Annual Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Symposium
• Provider: Houston Methodist
• Presented by: Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
• Year: 2026
• Date: April 11, 2026
• Location: Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
• Original Format: In-Person and Virtual
• Primary Focus: Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Preventive Cardiology
• Language: English
• Course Directors: Eleonora Avenatti, MD, DABOM; Kershaw V. Patel, MD

Target Audience

The symposium is designed for healthcare professionals involved in cardiovascular disease prevention, cardiovascular risk-factor assessment, and management of patients at risk for heart disease.

The official target audience includes:

• Physicians
• Physician Assistants
• Nurse Practitioners
• Nurses
• Other Healthcare Professionals
• Residents
• Fellows
• Other Non-Healthcare Professionals

The program is also particularly relevant to:

• Cardiologists
• Preventive Cardiologists
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Primary Care Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Endocrinologists
• Obesity Medicine Specialists
• Lipid Specialists
• Nephrologists
• Cardiovascular Researchers
• Pharmacists
• Dietitians and Nutrition Professionals
• Residents and Fellows involved in cardiovascular medicine

Program Overview

Cardiovascular disease remains closely associated with modifiable risk factors including overweight and obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.

Effective cardiovascular prevention therefore requires more than treatment after cardiovascular disease develops. Contemporary preventive cardiology emphasizes earlier recognition of cardiovascular risk, lifestyle modification, appropriate screening, evidence-based pharmacologic therapy, and individualized management of cardiometabolic conditions.

The Houston Methodist 5th Annual CVD Prevention Symposium 2026 brings these elements together through clinical cases, guideline updates, expert presentations, panel discussions, and multidisciplinary perspectives.

Major areas include cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health, blood pressure control, renal denervation, obesity as a cardiovascular disease risk factor, anti-obesity medications, contemporary cardiovascular risk stratification, biomarker-based assessment, artificial intelligence, LDL-C reduction, and updated dyslipidemia guidance.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the participant should be able to:

• Utilize the new guidelines to identify and mitigate risk factors for heart disease.
• Discuss prevention strategies, including primary and secondary prevention, related to different patient populations.
• Discuss the role of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for prevention and treatment of common cardiovascular diseases as well as their risk factors.

Official Program Topics

Session 1 – Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Health

What Is CKM Health, Syndrome, and Stages?

Kershaw Patel, MD

Reviews the evolving concept of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health and the clinical stages used to understand interconnected cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic disease.

Therapies Promoting CKM Health: Lifestyle, New Medications, and Role for Procedures

Layla Abushamat, MD, MPH, MS, DABOM

Explores contemporary approaches to improving CKM health through lifestyle modification, emerging medications, and procedural interventions.

CKM Health Case Discussion and Roundtable

Uses a clinical case and expert discussion to examine practical application of CKM prevention and management strategies.

Session 2 – Hypertension

Controlling Blood Pressure: Updated 2025 Guideline for High Blood Pressure

Martha Gulati, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, MASPC, FESC, FCCT (Hon), FNIPC (Hon)

Reviews updated recommendations for blood pressure assessment and management and their application to cardiovascular disease prevention.

Role of Renal Denervation in the Management of Hypertension

Alpesh Shah, MD

Examines the role of renal denervation as an interventional strategy for selected patients with hypertension.

Hypertension Case Discussion and Roundtable

Provides a case-based approach to blood pressure management, treatment selection, and cardiovascular risk reduction.

Session 3 – Obesity as a Disease

Obesity as a Disease

Eleonora Avenatti, MD, DABOM

Examines obesity as a chronic disease and major cardiovascular risk factor rather than solely as a measurement of body weight.

Cardiovascular Impact of Anti-Obesity Medications

Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, FOMA

Reviews the cardiovascular implications of contemporary anti-obesity pharmacotherapy and its growing role in cardiovascular risk reduction.

Obesity and Cardiovascular Prevention Case Discussion

Explores clinical decision-making for patients with obesity and associated cardiovascular risk factors.

Session 4 – Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment

CVD Risk Stratification in 2026

Eleonora Avenatti, MD, DABOM

Reviews contemporary approaches to cardiovascular risk stratification and how evolving evidence can influence preventive treatment decisions.

Use of Blood-, Imaging-, and AI-Based Biomarkers for Risk Assessment

Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD

Examines how blood biomarkers, cardiovascular imaging, and artificial intelligence–based tools may contribute to cardiovascular risk assessment.

CVD Risk Assessment Case Discussion and Roundtable

Uses clinical scenarios to integrate traditional cardiovascular risk factors with emerging diagnostic technologies.

Session 5 – Lipid Update

What’s New With Non-Statin LDL-C Lowering Therapies

Christie Ballantyne, MD

Reviews contemporary non-statin therapies for LDL cholesterol reduction and their role in cardiovascular prevention.

The 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline: Updates

Martha Gulati, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, MASPC, FESC, FCCT (Hon), FNIPC (Hon)

Examines important updates in the 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline and their implications for lipid management and cardiovascular risk reduction.

Lipid Management Case Discussion and Roundtable

Provides practical discussion of LDL-C management, risk stratification, and selection of lipid-lowering therapies.

Major Topics Covered

• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
• Preventive Cardiology
• Primary Cardiovascular Prevention
• Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention
• Cardiovascular Risk Factors
• Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
• Cardiovascular Risk Stratification
• Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health
• CKM Syndrome
• CKM Staging
• Hypertension
• Blood Pressure Management
• 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline
• Renal Denervation
• Obesity
• Obesity as a Chronic Disease
• Cardiovascular Effects of Obesity
• Anti-Obesity Medications
• Cardiometabolic Risk
• Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk
• Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Risk
• Dyslipidemia
• Hypercholesterolemia
• LDL Cholesterol Management
• Non-Statin LDL-C Lowering Therapies
• 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline
• Blood-Based Biomarkers
• Imaging-Based Biomarkers
• Artificial Intelligence in Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
• Lifestyle Modification
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Smoking Cessation
• Cardiovascular Screening
• Diagnostic Interventions
• Therapeutic Interventions
• Evidence-Based Cardiovascular Prevention
• Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Care

Course Directors

Eleonora Avenatti, MD, DABOM

Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiology, Academic Institute
Assistant Clinical Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist

Kershaw V. Patel, MD

Assistant Professor of Cardiology, Academic Institute
Assistant Clinical Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

Planning Committee

• Khurram Nasir, MD
• Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD

Faculty and Moderators

Faculty and moderators featured in the scientific program include:

• Eleonora Avenatti, MD, DABOM
• Kershaw Patel, MD
• Martha Gulati, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, MASPC, FESC, FCCT (Hon), FNIPC (Hon)
• Layla Abushamat, MD, MPH, MS, DABOM
• Alpesh Shah, MD
• Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD
• Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, FOMA
• Ahmed Soliman, MD
• Christie Ballantyne, MD

Accreditation

The symposium offers up to:

• 3.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• 3.75 Attendance Credits
• 3.75 Nursing Contact Hours

Houston Methodist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Houston Methodist is also accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Why This Symposium Is Relevant

The Houston Methodist 5th Annual Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Symposium 2026 addresses an important shift in cardiovascular medicine from treating established disease toward identifying and modifying risk before major cardiovascular events occur.

The program is particularly relevant for clinicians seeking current education on:

• Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health and CKM syndrome
• Contemporary cardiovascular risk stratification
• Updated hypertension guidelines
• Blood pressure optimization
• Renal denervation
• Obesity as a cardiovascular disease risk factor
• Cardiovascular effects of anti-obesity medications
• Blood-, imaging-, and AI-based cardiovascular biomarkers
• Non-statin LDL-C lowering therapies
• Updated dyslipidemia recommendations
• Primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention
• Lifestyle interventions for cardiovascular risk reduction
• Multidisciplinary management of cardiometabolic disease

The integration of hypertension, obesity, metabolic disease, kidney disease, lipid disorders, lifestyle factors, and emerging diagnostic technologies makes this symposium especially valuable for clinicians practicing modern preventive cardiology.

Short Description

Houston Methodist 5th Annual Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Symposium 2026 provides an evidence-based update on cardiovascular disease prevention, including cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health, hypertension management, renal denervation, obesity and anti-obesity therapies, cardiovascular risk stratification, blood and imaging biomarkers, artificial intelligence, non-statin LDL-C lowering therapies, dyslipidemia guidelines, and contemporary primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention.

+ Topics:

• 01 Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health – Understanding CKM Syndrome, Clinical Stages, and Integrated Cardiovascular-Renal-Metabolic Risk
• 02 CKM Prevention and Treatment – Lifestyle Modification, New Medications, and Procedural Strategies for Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health
• 03 Hypertension Management – Applying the Updated 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline to Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
• 04 Resistant and Difficult-to-Control Hypertension – Clinical Role of Renal Denervation in Contemporary Blood Pressure Management
• 05 Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease – Recognizing Obesity as a Chronic Disease and Major Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factor
• 06 Anti-Obesity Pharmacotherapy – Cardiovascular Impact of Contemporary Weight-Loss Medications in High-Risk Patients
• 07 Cardiovascular Risk Stratification in 2026 – Integrating Clinical Risk Factors to Guide Preventive Treatment Decisions
• 08 Cardiovascular Biomarkers – Using Blood-Based Markers to Refine Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
• 09 Cardiovascular Imaging for Prevention – Applying Imaging-Based Biomarkers to Improve Risk Stratification
• 10 Artificial Intelligence in Preventive Cardiology – AI-Based Biomarkers and Emerging Tools for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
• 11 LDL Cholesterol Management – Contemporary Non-Statin LDL-C Lowering Therapies for Cardiovascular Prevention
• 12 Dyslipidemia Management – Applying the 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline to Lipid-Lowering Therapy
• 13 Primary Cardiovascular Prevention – Lifestyle, Risk-Factor Modification, Screening, and Early Intervention Before Clinical Disease
• 14 Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention – Reducing Recurrent Cardiovascular Events Through Evidence-Based Risk-Factor Management
• 15 Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction – Managing Hypertension, Obesity, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, and Chronic Kidney Disease in Cardiovascular Prevention
• 16 Lifestyle-Based Cardiovascular Prevention – Nutrition, Exercise, Weight Management, and Smoking Risk Reduction
• 17 Diagnostic Strategies in Preventive Cardiology – Combining Clinical Assessment, Biomarkers, and Imaging for Individualized Risk Evaluation
• 18 Therapeutic Strategies in Cardiovascular Prevention – Integrating Lifestyle, Pharmacologic, and Procedural Interventions Into Patient Care

+ 

• 01 Obesity as a Disease – 2026 Updates
• 02 CVD Risk Stratification in 2026
• 03 Obesity Panel Q&A
• 04 Obesity Management Medications in 2026
• 05 Lipid Case and Panel Q&A
• 06 The 2026 ACC AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline – Updates
• 07 What’s New with Non-Statin LDL-C Lowering Therapies
• 08 CVD Risk Panel Q&A
• 09 Use of Blood, Imaging, and AI-based Biomarkers for CV Risk Assessment
• 10 Controlling Blood Pressure – Updated 2025 Guideline for High Blood Pressure
• 11 Therapies Promoting CKM Health – Lifestyle, New Medications, and Role for Procedures
• 12 Role of Renal Denervation in the Management of Hypertension
• 13 CKM Case and Panel Q&A
• 14 Hypertension Case and Panel Q&A
• 15 What is CKM Health, Syndrome, and Stages