REGISTER HERE

Online:  6:00-9:00 pm

Credits: This event is planned for 3.0 Category 1 credit hours as described by the Washington State Board of Optometry; or 3.0 Category 2 credit hours as described by the Washington Medical Commission

The vascular disease symposium for this year will be structured into two back-to-back sessions, separated by a short break.  The first session will have a systemic theme with an internal medicine presentation on hypertension as well as a cardiology approach to anti-platelet management.

Session 1 Program:

Statistics for hypertension (HTN) in the US show that about 50% of the adult population have HTN and only 25% of those are adequately controlled1.  In an effort to promote health equity, the Surgeon General put forward several strategies in 2020.  Those goals include improved lifestyle choices for diet and exercise, continued improvements to evidence-based guidelines for team-based hypertension control, increased recognition of ethnic and racial disparities, and other tangible opportunities to reduce nationwide hypertension.

Ananth Shenoy, MD, Too Much Pressure! Updates in Hypertension and Impact on Vascular Disease.  Dr. Shenoy will open the symposium with an overview of hypertension,  focusing on accurate assessment of diagnosis and measurement of hypertension, discussing systemic complications of HTN and subsequent risk reduction, and contemporary approaches to HTN management to lessen end organ damage.

Dr. Shenoy is an Internal Medicine specialist at the Virginia Mason Lynnwood Medical Center.

With the aging demographic of our society, we are seeing a targeted increase in vascular occlusive disease.  Prevention and management of at-risk patients is vital, as well as treatment of those who have suffered the consequences of a heart attack, ischemic stroke, or pulmonary embolism.  As reported by the American Heart Association, of the 10 leading causes of US deaths in 2017, heart disease was No. 1 and stroke No. 52.  With these ominous age-related statistics, we can all share concern to become better informed of prevention measures involving anti-clot therapy.

 

Thomas Amidon, MD, Cardiovascular Issues in Patients Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgery.  Dr. Amidon will share his expertise regarding anti-platelet and anti-coagulation therapy for chronic and peri surgical patients.  His objectives include discussing how to assesses and minimize perioperative risk for non-cardiac surgery, managing anti-platelet therapy in patients with prior stents, managing novel anti-coagulant therapy in A-FIB patients, and explaining bridge strategies in patients taking warfarin.

Dr. Amidon is an Interventional Cardiologist at Overlake Hospital.

Session 2 Program:

For the second half of the vascular disease symposium, we switch gears and turn our attention to ocular blood flow.  We earmark two areas of suspected ocular circulation insufficiency or instability and the ramifications that can perpetuate ocular pathophysiology.  Two leading conditions that eye care providers face on almost a daily basis are retinal disease and glaucoma.

Emily Freeman, OD, MS, FAAO, Don’t Lose Your Nerve: Understanding the Vascular Role in Normal-Tension Glaucoma.

We will explore the role that blood flow and ocular perfusion can play with regard to normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).  Emily Freeman, OD, Optometric physician and medical glaucoma consultant at Whatcom and Northwest Eye Surgeons, will present compelling information that glaucoma is more than elevated eye pressure. Dr. Freeman’s objectives include understanding the mechanisms of disease with NTG, identifying risk factors in the development and progression of NTG, and applying current and novel therapies for treating NTG.

Kristi Bailey, MD, Examining the Retinal Vasculature for Disease Progression.

The prevalence of retinal vascular disease has increased due to many factors tied with systemic disease such as diabetes and hypertension. Diabetic retinopathy in the US impacted almost 8 million people as of 2014, with a projection of over 11 million by 20303.  Because diabetic eye disease remains the leading cause of blindness in working age adults (in most developed nations), timely detection and treatment is essential4.  Diseases such as retinal vascular occlusive disease, diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy will be reviewed by Kristi Bailey, MD, cataract and medical retinal surgeon at Whatcom and Northwest Eye Surgeons.  

Her primary objectives include: using the retinal vascular appearance to build a differential diagnosis, determining a suitable timeline for referral to a specialist as well as some of the imaging and additional testing done in our clinics to care for these patients.

 

Moderator, Brett Bence, OD, FAAO

Dr. Bence is the Director of Optometry and Partner at Northwest Eye Surgeons. As a strong advocate of evidence-based continuing medical education, he is pleased to coordinate this outstanding panel of speakers for this pioneering interprofessional collaborative event.