Course introduction

Overview

This online course, prepared by Prof. Renata Cífková MD PhD, focuses on the prevention of hypertension.

The course describes the burden of hypertension and preventive strategies explaining two approaches:

• high-risk strategy
• population-based approach.

The following lifestyle modifications affecting blood pressure are discussed:

• maintaining a healthy body weight/reducing body weight in overweight and obese individuals
• reducing salt intake
• increasing physical activity
• moderating alcohol intake in drinkers
• increasing potassium intake
• consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products (DASH diet).

Learning objectives

By the end of this course participants will:

• understand that hypertension is a preventable disease
• be able to explain to patients how hypertension may be prevented
• understand the various factors contributing to the prevention of hypertension
• understand the lifestyle factors affecting blood pressure.

Target audience

General practitioners/internal medicine specialists, cardiologists, nephrologists, and other healthcare professional treating hypertension.

Accreditation

The Prevention of hypertension course is accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) for 1 European CME credits (ECMEC's).

Each medical specialist should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the educational activity. The EACCME is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Only those e-learning materials that are displayed on the UEMS-EACCME website have formally been accredited.

Instructions for participation

Each slide in the course is accompanied by a video commentary from Prof. Cífková. The slides and video are presented in short sections with quick questions at the end of each one. You may pause, repeat or skip sections as you wish. Please use the on-screen forward (right arrow) and backwards (left arrow) buttons to move through the presentation at your own speed.

The quick questions are not part of the course assessment but allow you to reflect on the material presented as you progress through the course.

Once you have completed the activity, you should undertake the final assessment test. If you achieve a score of 80% or greater you will be able to download your certificate (EACCME CME accreditation for 1 European CME credit).

Faculty

Renata Cífková

Professor of Medicine
Head, Center for Cardiovascular Prevention
Charles University in Prague
First Faculty of Medicine and Thomayer Hospital
Prague, Czech Republic

Biography

Renata Cífková completed her medical education at Charles University in Prague and in 1986 earned a PhD in internal medicine with special emphasis on cardiology. Since 2009, she has been a Professor of Medicine with the Charles University Medical School in Prague. She has also been Head of the Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic since 2010.

Prof. Cífková’s primary research interests are are epidemiology of cardiovascular risk factors, primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, and clinical studies. Search for recent publications [links open in a new window or tab].

She has held positions as Assistant Professor in the Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education, Dept of Cardiology, Prague, Czech Republic and has also been a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. In 1999, she was Honorary Visiting Professor, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Member of the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Joint Task Forces of the European Society of Cardiology, European Atherosclerosis Society and European Society of Hypertension on prevention of coronary heart disease in clinical practice

Member of the European Society of Cardiology Task Force on cardiovascular disease in pregnancy (version 2011 and 2018)

Member of the ESH/ESC Task Force for Joint Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension (version 2013)

Current positions

• Member of the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Joint Task Forces of the European Society of Cardiology, European Atherosclerosis Society and European Society of Hypertension on prevention of coronary heart disease in clinical practice
• Member of the European Society of Cardiology Task Force on cardiovascular disease in pregnancy (version 2011 and 2018)
• Member of the ESH/ESC Task Force for Joint Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension (version 2013)

Membership of professional societies

• Czech Purkyne Medical Society
• Czech Society of Cardiology (2009-2011 Chair of the Working Group of Preventive Cardiology)
• Czech Society of Angiology
• Czech Society of Hypertension (1997-2005 President, 2005-2010 Vice President,2011- Treasurer)
• Czech Atherosclerosis Society (Treasurer) Int. Soc. of Hypertension
• European Society of Hypertension (1997-2005 Board member, 1999-2005 Secretary, 2005-present ex officio Board member: Educational Activities Committee, Secretary)
• European Society of Cardiology (2012-2014 Chairperson of the WG Hypertension and the Heart, 2014-2016 Past-chair, Council on Hypertension)

Recent awards

• 2005: Prusík Prize of the Czech Society of Angiology
• 2005: Honorary membership of the Slovak Society of Hypertension
• 2008: Honorary membership of the Polish Society of Hypertension
• 2009: Peter Sleight Award, conferred by the European Society of Hypertension for an outstanding contribution to research, education and leadership in the fields of hypertension and cardiovascular protection
• 2010: Honorary membership of the Czech Society of Angiology
• 2011: Public Award for Medical Research of the Minister of Health of the Czech Republic
• 2014: Honorary membership of the Romanian Society of Hypertension
• 2015: Award for Medical Research of the Minister of Health of the Czech Republic
• 2015: Honorary membership of the Czech Society of Hypertension
• 2015:Honorary membership of the Czech Society of Internal Medicine

Faculty disclosure

Disclosure of faculty relationships

All EXCEMED programmes are organized solely to promote the exchange and dissemination of scientific and medical information. No forms of promotional activities are permitted. There may be presentations discussing investigational uses of various products. These views are the responsibility of the named speakers, and do not represent an endorsement or recommendation on the part of EXCEMED. This programme is made possible thanks to an educational grant received from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Prof. Cífková has declared that she does not currently have, nor has she had, in the 12 months preceding the activity, a vested interest or affiliation with any organization that may be perceived as a potential conflict of interest, or any affiliation with an organization whose philosophy may bias her presentation(s). In the presentation, Prof. Cífková does not discuss investigational or non-EMEA/FDA approved (off-label) uses of drugs.