CVD Newswatch, February 27

Guess what? I will be going up to the mountains this weekend, just to enjoy the snow and the sun. And I will finally try out snow walking! But before I go, here are some heart(y) weekend news and events announcement for you.

Heart(y) Events

American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference News
Last week, on February 18 to 20, 2009, cardiovascular experts met in San Diego for the AHA’s International Stroke Conference 2009. Aside from webcasts and podcasts, there were also video news releases. You can for example check out a special video report on the robotic therapy for stroke rehabilitation. I’ll be posting on the research studies presented at the conference. Stay tuned!

Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public Agenda
This week, integrative medicine experts are having a meeting in Washington to discuss integrative medicine and public health (February 25 to 27, 2009). Topics to be discussed include health care reforms and the science and economic realities of integrative medicine. Integrative Medicine is defined as “a system of comprehensive care that emphasizes wellness and healing of the whole person, with special emphasis on patient participation, and attention to mental and spiritual health. The knowledge and use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is an important aspect of Integrative Medicine.”

Cleveland Institute Live WebChats
Once again, the Cleveland Clinic has schedules some interesting topics for live health web chats in March. Here are some of the upcoming web events:

Aorta and Aortic Valve Surgery
Tuesday March 3, 2009, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (EST)
Cleveland Clinic has one of the largest aorta surgery practices in the world and has experience with every aorta repair and replacement technique, along with medical management strategies. Dr. Lars Svensson is the Director of the Center for Aortic Surgery and Director of the Marfan Syndrome and Connective Tissue Disorder

Atrial Fibrillation – Surgical and Nonsurgical Advances
Monday, March 9, 2009 – 12 noon (EST)
Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Atrial Fibrillation houses one of the US’ busiest AF programs. Dr. Bruce D. Lindsay is the Section Head of the Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing as well as a member of the Cleveland Clinic Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute.

CVD guidelines news

ACC/AHA guidelines largely based on weak evidence and expert opinion
We’ve seen so many clinical practice guidelines over the years, and they’ve been regularly revised and updated. This recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the guidelines recommended by American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) are based on weak evidence and should therefore be “ignored altogether.” Could health experts ever get their act together and stop confusing healthcare professionals and patient alike? [Sigh].

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