Certification in Cardiology Principles – Agenda

Foundations of Cardiology

Olivia Greenspan, ND

This session will cover cardiovascular disease statistics and what clinicians need to know about CVD pathophysiology, including atherosclerosis and hypertension and vascular aging. Dr. Greenspan will present the importance of lifestyle factors, including exercise to reduce risk factors, sleep correlation with CVD, sleep disorders as a risk factor, and treatment options.

Nutrition and Cardiovascular Disease: Prevention Through Phytonutrients and Lifestyle

Joel Kahn, MD

Dr. Kahn will elucidate the role of nutrition and dietary patterns in a lifestyle approach to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, stressing the importance of understanding “arterial age” and how that is predicted. He’ll assess current diet trends, and evaluate the merits of low fat diets, plant-based diets, Pritikin program, Dean Ornish program, and the Mediterranean diet and share his experiences in reversing heart disease. He’ll review which oils are actually healthy, based on science, and the role of lignans in CVD. Attendees will learn the causes of metabolic endotoxemia and its domino effect, and help clinicians determine how to apply foods and nutritional strategies for cardiovascular health in a personalized manner for a client.

Environmental Assaults on Cardiovascular Health

Christopher Davis, MD

Dr. Davis will deep dive into the role of environmental toxin exposure in the etiology of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases of aging. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study estimates that pollution was responsible for 9 million deaths worldwide in 2019, 61.9% of which were due to cardiovascular disease.

Halogenated hydrocarbons (such as solvents, pesticides, flame retardants, & cleaning agents), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, found in Teflon, fire retardant and stain-resistant fabrics, etc), and plastic-associated chemicals are implicated in increased risk of CVD. Exposure to these toxins is inevitable in modern society, but there are ways to support the body in dealing with their metabolism.

Dr. Davis will share his approach to individualized programs in environmental medicine and treating cardiovascular disease. He’ll explain what lab tests to use, what to look for, and share the Post Lipid Membrane Replacement Therapy protocol.

Cardiovascular Genetics Assessment, Testing, Lipids

Regina Druz, MD, MBA, MS, FACC

Druz will walk learners through a cardiovascular risk assessment based on the contemporary definition and case presentations. She’ll explain genetic risk factors and share case presentations for monogenic and polygenic cases. Dr. Druz will review cardiac imaging, practical tools for integrative and functional medicine approaches, and strategies for optimizing collaboration with traditional cardiologists.

Cholesterol Perspectives and Treatments

Decker Weiss, NMD FASA, PLC

Weiss will explain his cholesterol hypothesis versus the oxidative stress hypothesis. He will review the evidence to evaluate the significance of LDL and oxLDL. Dr. Weiss will explore the importance of addressing mitochondrial health when treating CVD.

Case Studies and Herbs for Lipid Management

Michael Friedman, ND & Jillian Stansbury, ND

Michael Friedman, ND, and Jillian Stansbury, ND, will review case studies related to lipid management and deep dive into select herbs for cholesterol treatment. Product formulations and protocols that clinicians can implement Monday morning will be presented.

What Clinicians Need to Know about Heart Failure

Regina Druz, MD, MBA, MS, FACC

Dr. Druz will review the prevalence, risk factors, and symptom presentation for heart failure. She will explore heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and what clinicians need to know regarding HF trackers and wearables for best outcomes.

Heart Failure Integrative Therapies

Decker Weiss, NMD FASA, PLC

Dr. Weiss will discuss key points in the pathophysiology of systolic heart failure and the etiology of the disease. He’ll discuss the relationship between the thyroid, mitochondria, and heart failure. Dr. Weiss will present evidence-based pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options for heart failure that clinicians can implement Monday morning.

Case Studies and Herbs for Heart Failure

Michael Friedman, ND, and Jillian Stansbury, ND

Michael Friedman, ND, and Jillian Stansbury, ND, will review case studies related to heart failure and in-depth exploration into select herbs for HF treatment. Product formulations and protocols that clinicians can implement Monday morning will be presented.

Ask Anything: Panel Discussion on Clinical Pearls and Formulations

Weiss, Druz, Friedman, Stansbury

This session will allow for engaging discussions between learners and the expert panelists to ensure clinicians are armed with the tools necessary to successfully treat cardiovascular disease conditions covered in this program.