Program Overview

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), an incurable disease, is characterized by medial hypertrophy, intimal fibrosis, and in situ thrombi in small muscular pulmonary arteries. PAH was considered a rapidly fatal illness with a median survival of 2.8 years in the 1980s when no evidence-based therapies were available. Since then the treatment of this disease has made tremendous advances, and in the last 10 years the discovery of new medications have positively influenced the prognosis and survival of patients with PAH.

This self-study activity is based on 4 articles that review exercise and movement in pulmonary hypertension (PH).

This activity is jointly sponsored by the University of Michigan Medical School and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Target Audience

This self-study activity is appropriate for cardiologists, pulmonologists, rheumatologists, and other physicians who treat patients with PH.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the diagnostic workup and clinical significance of exercise-induced PH
2. Discuss the performance and interpretation of a cardiopulmonary exercise test and its use in workup of the patient with suspected PH
3. Understand the use of 6-minute walk testing in evaluation and monitoring of patients with PAH
4. Describe the safety and efficacy

Self-Assessment Examination

1. View the entire articles.
2. Complete the online posttest and evaluation.
3. Complete the electronic credit request and activity evaluation. An electronic certificate of participation will be provided immediately.
4. Print the certificate of participation for your personal records.

Faculty

Chair

Richard Channick, MD
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Contributing Authors

Sonja D. Bartolome, MD
Assistant Professor, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas

Charles D. Burger, MD
Chair, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine,
Associate Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

Gregory D. Lewis, MD
Cardiologist, Massachusetts General Hospital
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

William M. Oldham, MD, PhD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit Medical Services
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

David M. Systrom, MD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit Medical Services
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Tonya Zeiger, RRT
Coordinator, Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic
Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, Florida

Agenda

Pulmonary Vascular Response Patterns to Exercise
Gregory D. Lewis, MD

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in the Evaluation of Unexplained Dyspnea
William M. Oldham, MD, PhD, and David M. Systrom, MD

6-Minute Walk Test Primer and Role in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Charles D. Burger, MD, and Tonya Zeiger, RRT

Exercise Training and Pulmonary Rehabilitation in the Pulmonary Hypertension Patient
Sonja D. Bartolome, MD

CME Accreditation and Credit Designation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the University of Michigan Medical School and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. The University of Michigan is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education to physicians.

The University of Michigan Medical School designates this activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.™ Physicians should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Completion of this activity involves reading the journal and completing the self-assessment examination and evaluation form, which may take up to 2 hours. Credits for this self-study program are available from December 10, 2010 through December 10, 2011. There is no fee for this program.

Oversight and Accreditation

Arlene Bradford
Assistant Director
Office of CME, University of Michigan Medical School

Disclosures

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Association of American Colleges have standards and guidelines to ensure that individuals participating in CME activities are aware of relationships between authors and commercial companies that could potentially affect the information presented. To be disclosed to participants are all
personal financial relationships with a commercial interest whose products are relevant to the content of this CME activity. The University of Michigan Medical School follows these national policies to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its CME activities. Each author was asked to complete a disclosure information form for this activity. Disclosures are reported below:

Charles D. Burger, MD, William M. Oldham, MD, PhD, David M. Systrom, MD, and Tonya Zeiger, RRT, have no relevant personal financial relationships to disclose.
Sonja D. Bartolome, MD, has received honoraria from Actelion, United Therapeutics, and Gilead.
Gregory D. Lewis, MD, has received NIH funding to perform research and write articles.
Arlene Bradford has no relevant personal financial relationships to disclose.

CME Reviewer

Kevin Chan, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Kevin Chan, MD, has received grant/research support from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Gilead.

 

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