Heart Matters: A Guide to Preventing and Managing Heart Disease - 1 AOA Category 1-A Credit

At the conclusion of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze current evidence-based guidance for preventing, diagnosing, and managing heart disease, including lifestyle interventions, pharmacologic therapy, and advanced/interventional approaches.

2. Evaluate cardiovascular risk factors to create personalized prevention plans by integrating biopsychosocial factors and health equity into shared decision-making.

3. Identify factors affecting breathing and rehab participation with brief structural screening, integrating these whole-person findings into standard cardiac care.

4. Develop evidence-based recovery plans that utilize graded activity, interdisciplinary referrals, and digital health tools to monitor patient outcomes and adjust follow-up care.

Heart disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and osteopathic physicians must apply current evidence-based recommendations for prevention, early detection, and management. This course reviews contemporary cardiovascular risk factors, guideline-informed prevention strategies, diagnostic approaches, and treatment options, including lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions. Learners will leave better prepared to translate updated cardiovascular evidence into practical, patient-centered care plans that support adherence and improve outcomes.

Clinical guidance and cardiovascular technologies evolve quickly, and many osteopathic physicians need targeted updates to confidently interpret changes and apply them at the point of care. This course addresses that gap by synthesizing current research and practice recommendations, with attention to whole-person factors, function, and common real-world barriers that affect cardiovascular risk and recovery.