Episode Details

For more information regarding this CME/CE activity and to complete the CME/CE requirements and claim credit for this activity, visit:

https://www.mycme.com/courses/unmasking-residual-inflammatory-risk-in-cardiorenal-disease-10898

Program Description

Cardiorenal-inflammatory syndrome is driven by silent, underlying inflammation in which cellular irritants trigger the intracellular NLRP3 inflammasome. This activation releases a signaling cascade along the IL-1β–IL-6 axis, driving endothelial dysfunction, plaque instability, and nephron fibrosis. Among patients with overlapping atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, persistent systemic inflammation acts as an independent, primary driver of major adverse cardiovascular events and functional renal decline, necessitating a shift from a purely metabolic management model to an immunologic paradigm.

This CME/CE podcast provides clinicians with a practical framework to identify and manage residual inflammatory risk in daily clinical practice. The activity details protocols for expanding routine risk assessments beyond standard lipid panels, defining high-priority patient populations for mandatory hsCRP screening, and applying dual heart-kidney protective strategies. Participants will gain actionable pearls to recognize inflammatory risk earlier, optimize screening workflows, and improve long-term outcomes for complex cardiorenal patients.

Educational Objective

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Differentiate the pathophysiologic roles of IL-6, IL-1β, and the NLRP3 inflammasome in the bidirectional inflammatory cycle of ASCVD and CKD

Apply evidence-based screening protocols using hsCRP to identify patients with residual inflammatory risk

Accredited Providers

The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. and the National Association for Continuing Education in partnership with the Academy of Physician Associates in Cardiology

The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. (ABC) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Accreditation Standards of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) through the joint providership of the National Association for Continuing Education (NACE) and The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. (ABC). NACE is accredited by the AANP as an approved provider of nurse practitioner continuing education. Provider number 121222. This activity is approved for 0.25 contact hours (which includes 0 hours of pharmacology).

Faculty

Paul Ridker, MD, MPH
Eugene Braunwald Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Medical Institution Mass General Brigham Hospital
Boston, MA

Dr Ridker has disclosed the following financial relationships:
Consultant: Agepha, Ardelyx, AstraZeneca, BioAge, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cardio Therapeutics, Cardiol Therapeutics, Caristo, CSL Behring, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, HeartFlow, NewAmsterdam Pharma, Nodthera, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, SOCAR, Tourmaline Bio
Advisor/Advisory Board: Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk
Contracted Research: Bristol Myers Squibb, Kowa, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer

All of Dr Ridker’s disclosures are related to atherosclerosis.

Eldrin Lewis, MD, MPH
Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Simon Stertzer, MD, Pr