FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE TOPICS
Chronic Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders: Insights and Education
Transforming the Assessment, Prevention, and Management of Chronic Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders
Over the last 10 years, researchers have discovered that controlling heart disease is not merely a matter of driving serum cholesterol down; 50% of people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels1. Why is this problematic? It means that for at least one out of every two patients having a heart attack, a clinician may not have addressed the risk factors that caused their heart attack. Research is shedding light on safer and more effective strategies of identifying important risk factors for preventing or reversing cardiometabolic disease, including advanced lipid assays and markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, hormone levels, and comprehensive body composition analysis.
In the following video, IFM educator Shilpa P. Saxena, MD, explains that insulin is a driving force that creates a cardiometabolic state that includes inflammation and adiposity:

- Sachdeva A, Cannon CP, Deedwania PC, Labresh KA, Smith SC Jr, Dai D, Hernandez A, Fonarow GC. Lipid levels in patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease: an analysis of 136,905 hospitalizations in Get With The Guidelines. Am Heart J. 2009 Jan;157(1):111-117.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2008.08.010. Epub 2008 Oct 22. PMID: 19081406.

Explore Articles About Cardiometabolic Conditions

Functional Medicine Advanced Practice Modules® (APM) Cardiometabolic
Cardio 2024: January 19 - 21, 2024 | Livestream in Pacific Time (PT) | Up to 19.25 CME Credits Available
This module will help clinicians understand the physiology underlying cardiometabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, new approaches to effective assessments and treatments, and how to integrate these lifesaving tools into practice.
- Utilize the Functional Medicine Matrix model to develop an effective systems biology organization when taking a cardiovascular medical history.
- Evaluate the evidence demonstrating the primary mechanisms underlying the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and the progressive development of atherosclerosis.
- Identify the relationships between chronic stress and the development of dyslipidemias, hypertension, weight gain, and metabolic syndrome.
- Evaluate and utilize new assessment approaches for identifying chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, autoimmunity, toxicity, and hormonal dysregulation in patients with cardiometabolic dysfunction.
- Analyze the most practical and useful laboratory assessments and biomarkers necessary to evaluate cardiovascular risks and recognize functional patterns associated with metabolic disease.
- Evaluate and utilize specific nutrients, phytonutrients, botanicals, pharmaceuticals, dietary plans, stress reduction techniques, and lifestyle interventions to improve the prevention and management of patients with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Functional Medicine Cardiometabolic Experts

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