About the program

Under the auspices of the International Cardiology Forum, this series of four Web casts will explore management of atrial fibrillation in all its dimensions, from maximizing net clinical benefit in stroke prevention to different approaches to addressing the underlying arrhythmia. In aggregate, these Web casts are intended to serve as a curriculum on this dysrhythmia. These Web casts will consider the latest data on new therapies or strategies, integrating these data into the large body of evidence that has accrued over the past several decades and upon which current treatment guidelines are based.

Target audiences

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of cardiologists, internists, family practitioners, and other health care professionals caring for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who are at risk of embolic stroke.

Educational objectives

• Improve adherence to evidence-based guidelines concerning anticoagulant therapy in AF
• Describe the results and implications of recently completed trials of anticoagulant agents in AF; integrate applicable results of these trials into patient care
• Strike an appropriate balance in the care of AF patients between the risks of hemorrhage on the one hand and embolic stroke on the other

• Summarize the design and rationale of ongoing trials that will define the potential role of novel anticoagulants for stroke prevention in AF
• Assess the implications of concomitant disease on anticoagulant therapy for preventing stroke in AF

Faculty info

CME

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the University of Cincinnati and The Exeter Group.

The University of Cincinnati is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Cincinnati designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credits commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Release date: October 2011 | Expiration date: October 2012

Peer review

This activity has been peer-reviewed by The American Journal of Cardiology and The American Journal of Medicine.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The University of Cincinnati is committed to resolving all conflict of interest issues that could arise as a result of prospective faculty members’ significant relationships with drug or device manufacturer(s).  The University of Cincinnati is committed to retaining only those speakers with financial interests that can be resolved and reconciled with the goals and educational integrity of the CME activity.

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, the speakers for this course have been asked to disclose to participants the existence of any financial interest and/or relationship(s) (e.g., paid speaker, employee, paid consultant on a board and/or committee for a commercial company) that would potentially affect the objectivity of his/her presentation or whose products or services may be mentioned during their presentation. The following disclosures were made:

Joseph S. Alpert, MD

Cochair, planning committee member, panel moderator

• Dr. Alpert disclosed an intention to reference off-label/unapproved uses of the following drugs: Apixaban (Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol–Myers Squibb); rivaroxaban (Bayer, Johnson & Johnson)
• Dr. Alpert disclosed an intention to cite findings from the ROCKET AF Trial (involved the participant as chairman of the Data Safety and Monitoring Committee, and received support from Bayer, Johnson & Johnson)
• Consultant: Bayer; Johnson & Johnson; sanofi–aventis U.S.

David L. Becker, MD

Planning committee member

President

The Exeter Group

New York, New York, United States

• No relationships

Stuart J. Connolly, MD

Panelist

• Dr. Connolly disclosed an intention to cite findings from the following trials: AVERROES (involved the participant as a primary investigator, and received support from Bristol–Myers Squibb, Pfizer); RE-LY (involved the participant as a primary investigator, and received support from Boehringer Ingelheim)
• Advisory board, consultant, grant recipient: Bayer; Bristol–Myers Squibb; Boehringer Ingelheim; Johnson and Johnson; Pfizer; Portola; sanofi-aventis U.S.

John W. Eikelboom, MBBS, MSc

Panelist

• Dr. Eikelboom disclosed an intention to cite findings from the RE–LY Trial (involved the participant as a steering committee member, and received support from Boehringer Ingelheim)
• Consultant: AstraZeneca; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol–Myers Squibb; Eli Lilly and Company; Novartis; sanofi–aventis U.S.
• Grant recipient: Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol–Myers Squibb
• Speakers’ bureau: AstraZeneca; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol–Myers Squibb; Eli Lilly and Company; sanofi–aventis U.S.

Michael D. Ezekowitz, MB ChB, DPhil

Cochair, planning committee member

• Consultant: ARYx Therapeutics; AstraZeneca; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol–Myers Squibb; Daiichi Sankyo; Medtronic; Pfizer; Portola; sanofi–aventis U.S.

Christopher B. Granger, MD

Presenter

• Dr. Granger has disclosed an intention to cite findings from the ARISTOTLE Trial (involved the participant as steering committee chair, and received support from Bristol–Myers Squibb, Pfizer)
• Consultant: AstraZeneca; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol–Myers Squibb; GlaxoSmithKline; Novartis; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.; Pfizer; Roche; sanofi–aventis U.S.; The Medicines Company
• Research/grant recipient: Astellas; AstraZeneca; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol–Myers Squibb; GlaxoSmithKline; Medtronic Foundation; Merck; sanofi–aventis U.S.; The Medicines Company

Freek W. A. Verheugt, MD

Presenter, panelist

• Prof. Verheugt disclosed an intention to reference off-label/unapproved uses of the following drugs: Apixaban (Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol–Myers Squibb); rivaroxaban (Bayer, Johnson & Johnson)
• Prof. Verheugt disclosed an intention to cite findings from the following trials: ARISTOTLE (involved the speaker as an author, and received support from Bristol–Myers Squibb); ROCKET–AF (involved the participant as an advisory board member, and received support from Bayer); RE–LY (involved the participant as an advisory board member, and received support from Boehringer Ingelheim)
• Advisory board, consultant: Bayer; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol–Myers Squibb
• Speakers ’ bureau: AstraZeneca; Bayer; Bristol–Myers Squibb

Kay Weigand

Compliance

Program Director – Enduring Materials

Office of Continuing Medical Education

University of Cincinnati 

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

• No relevant relationships

 

Disclaimer statement

The opinions expressed during the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Cincinnati or the views of The American Journal of Cardiology or The American Journal of Medicine. The information is presented for the purpose of advancing the participants’ professional development.

Off-label disclosure statement

Faculty members are required to inform the audience when they are discussing off-label/unapproved uses of devices and drugs. Physicians should consult full prescribing information before using any product mentioned during this educational activity.

Studies cited during the program may have involved the speakers and/or received commercial support.

Some of the agents referenced during the program are investigational and not yet FDA-approved for commercial use in the United States.

The use of trade names and identification of manufacturers during the presentations are for participants ’ reference only.  No promotion of or bias toward any product or manufacturer should be inferred.

Presentations