Release date: July 2008
Expiration date: July 31, 2009

Estimated time to complete activity: 30 minutes

Sponsored by Curatio CME Institute

Support for this activity has been provided through an educational grant from Genentech, Inc and Biogen Idec.

Activity Overview
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. In this Expert Practice, Arthur Kavanaugh, MD, discusses the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on the management of patients with RA. Topics addressed include epidemiology of CVD and related risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, how rheumatoid arthritis treatment influences cardiovascular risk factors, and the overall management of rheumatoid arthritis patients with cardiovascular risk factors.

Target Audience
This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of rheumatologists and other health care professionals involved in the care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Recognize cardiovascular risk factors associated with RA and their impact on patient outcomes
• Explain the mechanistic relationship between cardiovascular comorbidities and RA
• Develop a treatment plan for RA patients that takes into account existing cardiovascular risk factors

Faculty
Arthur Kavanaugh, MD
Professor of Medicine
Center for Innovative Therapy
University of California, San Diego, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
La Jolla, CA

Accreditation Statement
Curatio CME Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation
Curatio CME Institute designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in this CME activity. To receive credit during the period of July 2008 to July 31, 2009, participants must (1) read the learning objectives and disclosure statements, (2) study the educational activity, (3) complete the posttest, and (4) complete the activity evaluation form, including the certificate information section.

Media
The Internet was selected as the instructional format to accommodate the learning preferences of a significant portion of the target audience.

Disclosure
In accordance with the ACCME’s Standards for Commercial Support, all CME providers are required to disclose to the activity audience the relevant financial relationships of everyone in a position to control content of an educational activity. A relevant financial relationship is a relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the CME activity content over which the individual has control. Relationship information appears below:

Arthur Kavanaugh, MD has disclosed the following relevant financial relationship(s):

Curatio CME Institute

Shari J. Dermer, PhD, Medical Director, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Thomas F. Finnegan, PhD, Medical Writer, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Lauren Showers, Program Coordinator, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Jonathan S. Simmons, ELS, Managing Editor, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Disclaimer
The information presented at this activity is for continuing medical education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician regarding diagnosis and treatment of a specific patient’s medical condition.

Unapproved Product Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Curatio CME Institute, Genentech, Inc., and Biogen Idec do not recommend the use of any agent outside the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in this educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of Curatio CME Institute, Genentech, Inc, or Biogen Idec. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Hardware/Software Requirements

• Version 5.0 or higher for Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape 6 or higher
• If you are using a Mac computer system and are experiencing problems with your browser, we suggest downloading the latest version of Firefox for Mac

Contact Information
RAoutlook.org
100 Campbell Boulevard
Suite 103
Exton, PA 19341
raoutlook@curatiocme.com

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