Heart Disease Is Preventable

Presentation description:

Risk for heart disease is about 50% acquired and 50% inherited. The first gene for heart attacks we discovered in 2007 and now many genes can be tested using a microchip. Both acquired and genetic heart disease can be prevented, and studies have shown using drugs that lower cholesterol or modification in life style are both associated with 50% reduction in heart attacks. It is estimated that 90% of heart disease will be prevented by the turn of the century.

Session participants will understand:

• What heart disease is and how 80% is preventable.
• The traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
• The genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
• Description of how genetic risk can be determined anytime from birth onwards and does not change in one’s life time.
• How employers can support employees facing cardiovascular disease and how to promote the importance of heart health.

Presenter:

Robert Roberts, MD, Cardiologist and Medical Director of Cardiovascular Genetics and Genomics program at Dignity Health’s Heart and Vascular Institute

Dr. Robert Roberts is a very accomplished cardiologist. He is the Medical Director of Cardiovascular Genetics and Genomics at Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers. He was the director of the Coronary Care Unit at Washington University in St. Louis and served as Chief of Cardiology for Baylor College of Medicine in Houston for 23 years. In addition, he served as President and CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI).

Dr. Roberts is one of the founders who brought molecular biology and genetics to heart disease. He spearheads the research to identify the genetic markers for heart attacks by way of heart disease. This includes findings in the predictive measures, identification and proper treatment of heart disease. He co-discovered over 60 genes related to coronary artery disease and developed the quantitative test used to diagnose heart attacks for three decades. This led to many discoveries for which he has received worldwide acclaim. He discovered several genes including the first gene for atrial fibrillation (WPW) along with several familial cardio myopathies. His latest is the discovery of 9P21 – the first gene for heart attacks. He then formed an international Robert Roberts consortium which has since discovered over 200 genetic risk variances. These risk genes have now been on a chip which will be part of the screening for accessing individuals’ risk for heart attack.

Dr. Roberts has published over 900 scientific papers. He has been the Associate Editor of Hurst the Heart, a leading textbook in cardiology, Editor-in-Chief of Current Opinion in Cardiology, Chief Guest Editor of JACCBTS, Genomics Section Editor for JACC, Associate Editor of Cardiology Today and on the editorial board of 18 other journals. Dr. Roberts completed his undergraduate degree at Memorial University in Newfoundland. He attended Medical School at Dalhousie University and training in Cardiology at University of Toronto in Canada. He earned a scholarship from the Canadian Heart Foundation and relocated to the U.S. to complete a research fellowship at the University of California San Diego.

Dr. Roberts is a professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona and is a Chair in the International Society of Cardiovascular Translational Research (ISCTR). He is a Master in the American College of Cardiology, a Fellow of the American Heart Association, International Society for Heart Research, American College of Cardiology, and American College of Physicians. Dr. Robert’s interests are in women’s heart health, identifying genetic and conventional risk factors to prevent heart disease rather than treat it once it has occurred. It is his hope to screen pre-/post-menopausal women for their risk and to treat them with the hope of preventing the disease.

For more information, contact Irene Cassidy at:
Telephone: (602)-359-4565
E-Mail: info@healthyazworksites.org