CONTROVERSIES & ADVANCES IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Having just attended Cedars-Sinai 's CONTROVERSIES & ADVANCES IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, I applaud the incredibly gifted presenters as well as everyone involved in making this 2 day symposium possible.

Lipids, cardiac imaging, heart failure,hypertension, coronary interventions,the latest devises , structural heart disease, gender differences as it relates to presentation, treatment and prognosis,genetic testing ,and the future of remote monitoring via smart phone or watch were among the topics discussed.

What I found most interesting was the discussion on some of the recent heart trials. Does a particular fish oil by Big Pharma really have a survival advantage in those with coronary disease ? Do these new generally unaffordable PCSK9 inhibitors make a difference in survival when compared to traditional cholesterol lowering meds like statins in those with known heart disease? How about the use of immunosupressive agents like methotrexate to combat inflammation and decrease progression in coronary disease?

Now being an integrative cardiologist practicing functional medicine, I must voice my disappointment that essentially nothing about diet, exercise and lifestyle interventions was included in these presentations.

For example,take this whole idea of inflammation.We all know it is the bane of our existence when it comes to aging. Why are we going straight to immunosupressive agents with all the attended side effects without even addressing the causes of inflammation and the potential of more natural remedies ?

Lets be real here. These trials are expensive to conduct. It's as if we are going straight to meds rather than encouraging our patients to practice prevention.

I am all for developments in medical technology, devices and drugs.But we need to see how a more functional approach can play a contributing role.