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General
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Adult Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Homepage
Welcome to the Adult Cardiovascular Disease Prevention course. This course is designed to provide an understanding of the prevention of cardiovascular disease and is intended to provide the knowledge needed for clinically-prepared medical students, residents and practicing physicians.
The Adult Cardiovascular Disease Prevention course, like all NextGenU.org courses, is competency-based, using competencies from the ACCF/AHA/ACP 2009 Competence and Training Statement: A Curriculum on Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. It uses learning resources from accredited, world-class organizations such as the American Heart Association, and National Institute of Health.
The Adult Cardiovascular Disease Prevention course was created by Judith Thomas and was designed by the NextGenU.org team: Eduardo Bianco, MD; Hugo Rojas, MD, MSc, DiplEd; Pablo Baldiviezo Rodriguez, MD, DiplEd; Alixandria Ali, BSc; Carolina Bustillos, MD and Kabiru Gulma, Ph.D.
For publications on NextGenU.org’s courses’ efficacy, see the NextGenU.org’s publication page. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of future updates, new courses, and to be part of our community.
There are 4 modules to complete, which provide an introduction to:
- Module 1: Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Cardiology
- Module 2: Aetiology and Pathophysiology of Atherosclerosis
- Module 3: Primary Prevention and Risk Factor Management
- Module 4: Secondary Prevention and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation
At the end of each module, there is a practice quiz of ten (10) multiple-choice questions. After you’ve completed each module, quiz, and learning activity, at the end of the course, you’ll have access to a final exam consisting of thirty-two (32) multiple-choice questions, and a chance to evaluate this course. Participants have up to three opportunities to take the final exam and achieve the required score of >=70%.
Once you’ve passed that last test, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from NextGenU.org and our course’s co-sponsoring organizations. We keep all of your personal information confidential, never sell any of your information, and only use anonymized data for research purposes. Also, we are happy to report your testing information and share your work with anyone (your school, employer, etc.) at your request.
Approximate time for completion of this course is 110 hours at an average reading rate of 144 words/minute.
Engaging with this Course:
You may browse this course for free to learn for your personal enrichment; there are no requirements.
To obtain a certificate, a learner must first register for the course and then successfully complete:
- All the reading requirements,
- All quizzes and pass with a 70% with unlimited attempts,
- The final exam with a minimum of 70% and a maximum of 3 attempts, and
- The self and course evaluation forms.
To obtain credit:
Complete all requirements listed above for the certificate, and your learning institution or workplace should approve the partner-university-sponsored NextGenU.org course for educational credit, as they would for their learner taking a course anywhere.
NextGenU.org is happy to provide your institution with:
- A link to and description of the course training, so they can see all its components, including the cosponsoring universities and other professional organization cosponsors;
- Your grade on the final exam;
- Your work products, and any other required or optional shared materials that you produce and authorize to share with them;
- Your evaluations -- course, and self-assessments;
- A copy of your certificate of completion, with the co-sponsoring universities and co-sponsors.
To obtain a degree, NextGenU.org co-sponsors degree programs with institutional partners. To obtain a full degree co-sponsored with NextGenU.org, registrants must be enrolled in a degree program as a student of a NextGenU.org institutional partner. If you think that your institution might be interested in offering a degree with NextGenU.org contact us.
We hope that you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.
Here are the next steps to take the course and earn a certificate.
- Complete the registration form.
- Take the pre-test.
Begin the course with Module 1: Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Cardiology. In each lesson, read the description, complete all required readings and any required activity, as well as take the corresponding quizzes.
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Module 1: Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Cardiology
Competencies covered in this module:
- Design, implement, and evaluate preventive interventions at the population level.
- Design, implement, and evaluate preventive interventions at the population level.
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Module 1: Lesson 1: Public Health Interventions
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:Student Learning Outcomes:
- Identify target populations and preventive interventions, including groups currently underrepresented in clinical studies (women, older people, ethnic minorities, and migrants).
- Examine the evidence regarding population-based approaches to prevention (e.g., epidemiology, randomized controlled trials, and cost-effectiveness studies).
- Describe the research methodology to collect data/run analysis/synthesize results of study outcomes/use audit tools.
- Identify potential stakeholders and collaborators.
- Identify how to disseminate health-related issues.
- Explain data collection tools (questionnaires, instruments to collect clinical data).
- Describe statistical methods to analyze data taking into account possible biases/confounders.
- Consider the cost-effectiveness of interventions.
8 URLs, 1 Forum - Identify target populations and preventive interventions, including groups currently underrepresented in clinical studies (women, older people, ethnic minorities, and migrants).
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Module 1: Lesson 2: Public Health Interventions in Cardiology
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the epidemiology of CVD.
- Explain common risk factors that apply to CVD.
- Identify what individual/patient groups are at high risk for CVD and how they should be targeted for preventive care.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how the social determinants of health influence CV health and health inequalities.
- Describe the key critical success factors for delivering effective CVD prevention programs.
- Summarize existing public health strategies employed for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases at the population and individual levels.
Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 8 hours and 30 minutes.
8 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Describe the epidemiology of CVD.
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Module 2: Aetiology and Pathophysiology of Atherosclerosis
Competencies covered in this module:
- The competencies here are from ACCF and are used as the objectives.
- The competencies here are from ACCF and are used as the objectives.
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Module 2: Lesson 1: Cardiovascular Biology
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:Student Learning Outcomes:
- Explain atherosclerosis.
- Describe the role of inflammation, plaque fissuring, erosion, and rupture in the genesis of acute coronary syndromes.
- Differentiate between systemic and local neurohormonal derangements that lead to vasoregulatory impairment and fibrinolytic imbalance.
- Explain the biological, social, and environmental determinants of neurohormonal derangements that lead to vasoregulatory impairment and fibrinolytic imbalance.
- Discuss evidence-based therapies/interventions used to manage endocrine and autocrine neurohormonal issues.
Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 8 hours and 50 minutes.
6 URLs, 1 Forum - Explain atherosclerosis.
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Module 2: Lesson 2: Cardiovascular Pharmacology
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:Student Learning Outcomes:
- Explain how lipids, hypertension, thrombosis, diabetes and insulin resistance affect cardiovascular health.
- Explain how lifestyle can affect cardiovascular health (e.g., cigarette smoking and obesity).
- Explain the role and efficacy of statins and common medications.
- Explain the role and efficacy of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system agents.
- Explain the role of antiplatelet therapy.
- Explain the role of antihypertensive medications.
- Identify pharmacological interactions of common cardiovascular medications with over-the-counter supplements, nutriceuticals, and common dietary ingredients.
- Explain the need for dose adjustment across age, gender, and ethnicity.
- Explain the influence of common comorbidities on pharmacologic dosing.
- Identify common combination medications used for slowing and reversing the progression of atherosclerosis.
- Describe the efficacy of pairing atherosclerosis-specific targeted interventions with the use of combination medications.
- Discuss the importance of genetic testing in preventative cardiology.
Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 15 hours and 40 minutes.
16 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Explain how lipids, hypertension, thrombosis, diabetes and insulin resistance affect cardiovascular health.
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Module 3: Primary Prevention and Risk Factor Management
Competencies covered in this module:
- Manage individuals with multifactorial cardiovascular risk profiles.
- Manage a patient with non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
- Use cardiopulmonary exercise testing for diagnosis, risk stratification and exercise prescription.
- Appraise and apply the use of cardiovascular risk assessment tools in clinical practice and discuss the utility of emerging tools for cardiovascular risk assessment, including imaging techniques.
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Module 3: Lesson 1: Multifactorial Cardiovascular Risk Profiles
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:Student Learning Outcomes:
- Explain the importance and use of risk estimation.
- Describe various successful risk estimation tools in CVD prevention.
- Define precision medicine and deep phenotyping.
- Explain the relationship between precision medicine, deep phenotyping, and clinical decision-making.
- Explain how success is measured in prevention programs.
- Describe factors that determine program success.
- Describe successful CVD prevention programs across various settings.
- Relate the social determinants of health to CV health.
Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 10 hours and 36minutes.
13 URLs, 1 Forum - Explain the importance and use of risk estimation.
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Module 3: Lesson 2: Managing Non-traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:Student Learning Outcomes:
- Identify non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Identify diseases with elevated CV risk: chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congenital heart disease, inflammatory disease, migraine with aura, erectile dysfunction, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and sleep disorders.
- Discuss the importance of addressing non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Explain strategies for addressing non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Discuss difficulties in addressing non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Describe methods of investigation of individuals with non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Explain the management techniques for individuals with non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Identify clinical complications in patients with non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Explore the management strategies for clinical complications in patients with non-traditional CV risk factors.
- Identify the main laboratory tests for assessing CV risks.
- Explain when the need for a referral or collaboration may arise for assessing CV risk.
- Interpret laboratory test results useful for assessing CV risks.
- Explain the importance of consulting laboratory testing when planning personal health strategies.
- Describe effective communication strategies when dealing with patients and their families.
- Describe effective communication skills when collaborating with colleagues, including advocating for patients and negotiating.
Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 19 hours and 8 minutes.
22 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Identify non-traditional CV risk factors.