Exactly 40 years ago, the Association of Black Cardiologists’ founders discerned a dire need for specialized attention, research and education on cardiovascular disease among African Americans and other minorities, which experience a higher incidence and death rate from heart disease—the world’s leading cause of death.

Commemorating ABC’s four decades of service, this special symposium tackles “Cardiovascular Health Equity: Optimizing Awareness in the ACA Era.” Leading experts in cardiovascular medicine will discuss the scope of cardiovascular disease, including the latest developments in—all with a deliberate focus on improving outcomes for multi-ethnic populations. Ever-evolving treatment guidelines will also take center stage as new data is dissected with the goal of increasing compliance while reducing, and ultimately eliminating disparities in treatment and outcomes. These are timely and necessary topics as African Americans continue to have the highest age-adjusted death rates from heart disease and stroke.

Attendees will benefit from several question-and-answer sessions which allow direct interaction with leaders in the heart health field. Presented in collaboration with the National Medical Association (Internal Medicine Section), this symposium promises to attract scholars and practitioners from around the country.

Target Audience
This CME activity is designed for internists, family practitioners, general practitioners, cardiologists and other healthcare professionals interested in the care of patients with or at risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Educational Objectives
At the conclusion of this educational activity, attendees should be able to:

• Apply current prevention, management and treatment strategies for cardiovascular disease in multi-ethnic populations
• Review current guidelines for managing modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease in light of new data
• Identify current and emerging strategies for managing heart failure in patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction

Accreditation
The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. (ABC) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation
The ABC designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s) ™.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure
The Association o f Black Cardiologists is committed to providing educational activities that are objective, balanced and free of bias. The ABC has established policies that will identify and resolve all conflicts of interest prior to this educational activity. Anyone engaged in content development, planning or presentation of an educational activity are expected to disclose to the audience, verbally or in writing, any commercial relationships that might be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest related to the content of their presentations, and unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs and devices. Detailed disclosures will be made verbally and/or available in writing during the program.