The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health will co-sponsor a national cardiovascular conference February 19 to 21 in San Francisco at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero Hotel. Leading scientists and public health experts will present at over 50 panel and 200 poster sessions on all aspects of cardiovascular health and disease.
About 1500 researchers and health care professionals will attend Cardiovascular Health: Coming Together for the 21st Century. Topics to be covered at the conference include new risk factors for cardiovascular disease, hormone therapy and heart health in women, and alternative medical therapies for heart disease.
The conference is also sponsored by the Cardiovascular Disease Outreach, Resources, and Epidemiology (CORE) program, a joint effort between the University of California Department of Health Services and the University of California, San Francisco's Institute for Health & Aging; the University of California, San Francisco; and the California Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Coalition.
Three press briefings have been scheduled for the conference. All briefings will take place in the conference press room -- Board Room B in the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero Hotel, 5 Embarcadero Center. The press room hours will be 8:30 - 5:30 on February 19-20 and 8:30 - 12:00 noon on February 21.
Schedule of press briefings:
February 19
Diet and Cardiovascular Health, 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Moderator: Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., R.D., Northwestern University Medical
School
Topics/Speakers:
- Heart-Healthy Diets: Are Americans Following the Dietary Guidelines? Linda Van Horn will present new survey data on Americans' eating habits.
- Low Fat Diets--Not for Everyone. Ronald M. Krauss, M.D., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, will discuss how people differ in their response to low fat diets and how low fat diets can be harmful for some people.
- Preventing High Blood Pressure: The Role of Sodium and Potassium. Paul K. Whelton, M.D., Tulane University, will discuss the importance of sodium reduction and potassium supplementation in both preventing hypertension and reducing the patients' need for medication.
- Obesity: A Multicultural Perspective on a Worldwide Problem. Shiriki Kumanyika, Ph.D., R.D., University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Kumanyika will discuss socioeconomic conditions and psychosocial and cultural factors that affect the treatment of obesity worldwide.
New Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors -- Are They Ready for Prime Time?
1:00 p.m-2:00 p.m.
Moderator: Jeffrey M. Hoeg, M.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Topics/Speakers:
- The Role of Oxidized LDL in Cardiovascular Disease. Daniel Steinberg, M.D., Ph.D., University of California-San Diego, will discuss new research and review recent studies on the role of oxidized LDL in atherosclerosis.
- Inflammation, Immunity, and Infection. Peter Libby, M.D., Harvard University Brigham and Women's Hospital, will discuss recent research on the connection between infection, inflammation, and heart disease.
- Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Factors: What it Takes to Make Prime Time. Jeffrey M. Hoeg, M.D. will report on the research status and practical application of the newer risk factors such as homocysteine.
February 20
Women and Heart Disease: An Update, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Moderator: Millicent Higgins, M.D., University of Michigan
Topics/Speakers:
- How the New Cholesterol Studies Apply to Women. John C. LaRosa, M.D., Tulane University Medical Center, will report on recent studies of cholesterol lowering drugs and implications for women.
- Women and the New Risk Factors for Heart Disease. JoAnn Manson, M.D. Brigham and Women's Hospital, will discuss the potential role of antioxidants, folate, vitamins B6 and B12, and exercise in preventing cardiovascular disease in women. Dr. Manson will also report on recent findings from the Nurses Health Study on the connection between folate, vitamin B6, and heart disease.
- Hormones and Heart Disease: Why Do We Need the Women's Health Initiative? Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, M.D., University of California, San Diego, will discuss the relevance of the WHI, one of the largest studies ever conducted of women and their health. Since WHI study results won't be available for at least 7 years, Dr. Barrett-Connor will also discuss what women should do now.
For more information on these briefings or the conference, or to request a copy of the abstract book, please call the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496-4236.
To register for the conference in advance, send an e-mail to Dale Martin at the University of California-San Francisco: DMARTIN@ITSA.UCSF.EDU.
Note: You may register onsite in the press room. You must wear a name badge to attend conference sessions and the exhibit area.