WEBINAR | The future of CVD risk assessment

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death worldwide and a major contributor to reduced quality of life. Clinical decision making for the detection, management and prevention of CVD relies on accurate risk assessment. Local and international guidelines currently advocate for measurement of traditional CVD risk factors with use of a validated risk prediction tool. However, the realisation that traditional risk factors may not identify all those at risk of CVD has fueled a growing interest in the use of novel imaging techniques, clinical biomarkers and genetics to augment traditional risk assessment.

What’s in The Future of CVD Risk webinar?

In this webinar, our international and local speakers debate on the topic: Should population-based CVD risk assessment models make way for individualised risk prediction techniques? The webinar was hosted by the Heart Foundation of Australia and the World Heart Federation. This event was also sponsored by Servier through an independent education grant. All content was developed independently.

Duration: 1 hour
Year recorded: 2020
Topics covered:

• Population based CVD risk assessment models
• Cardiac Imaging and Polygenic risk scores
• Emerging biomarkers and pathways to discovery

Webinar panellists

The webinar was chaired by Heart Foundation's Chief Medical Advisor, Prof Garry Jennings. The panel consists of:

		Donald Lloyd-Jones Professor @Northwestern University Donald is among the world’s most highly regarded experts in cardiovascular disease prevention and epidemiology. He is currently the Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research and Professor of Preventive Medicine, Medicine-Cardiology, and Paediatrics at Northwestern University in Chicago. A major focus of his research has been the investigation of lifetime risks for various cardiovascular diseases and risk estimation using novel biomarkers, imaging of subclinical atherosclerosis, and the epidemiology of hypertension. As a cardiology fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital he completed his research fellowship at the Framingham Heart Study. Donald has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed articles and co-chaired the expert group that created the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk. He is currently the President-elect of the American Heart Association.
		Stephen Nicholls Professor @Monash University Steve Nicholls is the Director of MonashHeart, Director of Victorian Heart Institute and Professor of Cardiology at Monash University. He will be the Director of the Victorian Heart Hospital. He completed his cardiology training at John Hunter Hospital and PhD at the University of Adelaide, prior to holding a postdoctoral fellowship and faculty appointment at the Cleveland Clinic and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. His research interests focus on the role of metabolic risk factors and imaging in atherosclerosis, with work spanning from early discovery to leadership of large clinical trials. He is Chair of the Australian Atherosclerosis Society Clinical Council, Australia and New Zealand Alliance for Cardiovascular Trials, Asia Pacific Cardiometabolic Consortium, Secretary of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
		Gemma Figtree Professor @University of Sydney Inspired by her clinical work as an interventional cardiologist, Gemma is committed to improving cardiovascular disease outcomes using her knowledge of molecular and cellular biology to develop novel therapies to prevent and treat events. She co-leads the Cardiovascular Theme for Sydney Health Partners, a NHMRC Advanced Health Research and Translation Centre and is the Chair of the University of Sydney’s multi-disciplinary Cardiovascular Initiative. Her clinical leadership is recognised by her membership of the Scientific Board of Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, appointment to the Expert Advisory Panel for NHMRC Structural Review of Grants Program (2016-17), and as Chair of the Heart Foundation’s Clinical Committee. She is committed to the promotion and advocacy of cardiovascular research, working as President of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance with a national team to secure $220 Million Federal funding for the Mission for Cardiovascular Health.