Listen to Podcast

Program Overview:

Atherothrombotic disease, including acute coronary syndrome, stroke/TIA and peripheral arterial disease, continues to be a world-wide challenge in terms of morbidity, premature death, and disability with tremendous costs to patients, health care systems and society. The diffuse nature of atherothrombosis and the heightened risk of recurrence represent major challenges to the clinician. For all manifestations of atherothrombotic disease, secondary prevention strategies include long term risk factor modification and oral antiplatelet therapy. Although vascular specialists treat these patients acutely, the primary care setting is crucial in continuing lifestyle changes, effective drug therapy and implementing treatment guidelines that have been initiated. Additionally, the primary care clinician plays a critical role in early diagnosis and detection of atherothrombosis.

The term acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is used to describe patients who present with either acute MI or unstable angina (UA). An estimate of the incidence of ACS is 1,565,000 annually. The ACC and AHA jointly publish treatment guidelines for ACS and it has been shown that adherence to the guidelines greatly improves patient outcomes. Therefore, knowledge and implementation of the ACS guidelines by not only cardiologists and hospital-based clinicians, but also primary care clinicians, is essential.

This program will provide an overview of ACS by discussing epidemiology, prevalance, and both acute and long term care treatment options as well as review current guidelines. Implementation and patient adherence strategies in the primary care setting will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant will be able to:

• Name 5 treatment recommendations for reduction of global CV risk in patients being medically managed for UA/NSTEMI.
• Describe 2 situations where dual antiplatelet therapy is recommended in patients with acute coronary syndrome

CME Accreditation/Designation Statement

Primary Care Network, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Primary Care Network designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Target Audience:

This activity is targeted to all physicians and other healthcare professionals who treat patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Release date: March 1, 2008
Expiration date: February 28, 2009

Medium: Podcast

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support:

This activity is supported through an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership.

Method of Participation:

IIn order to receive CME credit for this activity, you need to review program.  Upon finishing the online CME, complete the post-test, evaluation, and fill out all required personal information. To receive your CME certificate you will need to pass the post-test with 70% accuracy or better.

Post-test and Evaluation:

After completing this activity, click on the Post-test button at the end of the program. If you receive less than 70% on the post-test, you will be returned to the beginning of the activity to review the presentation again. Upon successful completion of the post-test, you will be asked to fill out a program evaluation form and prompted to print your CME certificate.

PCN Disclosure Policy:

It is the policy of Primary Care Network, Inc. to ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its CME activities. All Primary Care Network staff, faculty, or any other individual who is in a position to control the content of the CME activities sponsored by PCN are required to disclose to the participants any real or apparent conflict of interest related to the activity. Primary Care Network’s resolution of conflict of interest policy aims to ensure that all financial relationships with any commercial interests do not bias the design and delivery of this continuing medical education activity.

Content Providers & Disclosures

Lawrence E. Mieczkowski, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
Wright State University School of Medicine
Medical Director,
Center for Cardiometabolic Treatment
Dayton, OH

Disclosures: Dr. Mieczkowski serves on the advisory board and is a consultant and member of the Speaker’s Bureau of Pfizer. He is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau of Abbott Labs, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Schering Plough.


Richard V. Milani, MD
Vice-Chairman, Department of Cardiology
Ochsner Clinic Foundation
New Orleans, LA

Disclosures: Dr. Milani is a member of the speaker’s bureau of Astra-Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, and Pfizer.

Faculty & Disclosures

Martin W. Schwarze, DO, FACOI, FACC
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiology
St. Louis University Hospitals
St. Louis, MO

Disclosures: Dr. Schwarze is a member of the speaker’s bureau of Astra-Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Scios. He is a consultant to Astra-Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Scios and has received research grants from Arena.

Lawrence E. Mieczkowski, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Wright State University School of Medicine
Dayton, OH

Disclosures: Dr. Mieczkowski serves on the advisory board and is a consultant and member of the Speaker’s Bureau of Pfizer. He is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau of Abbott Labs, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Schering Plough.

Unlabeled Use Declaration:

During this activity, speakers may discuss an unlabeled use or an investigational use not approved for a commercial support. Each author is required to disclose this information to the participants when referring to an unlabeled or investigational use.

PCN Staff Disclosures:

The Employees of Primary Care Network have no financial relationships to disclose.

When finished, click here to take the Post-test
Take the post-test to receive your CME certificate