Multidisciplinary Symposium Focuses on Cardiometabolic Syndrome Crisis

The Texas Heart Institute became a hub of collaboration and innovation as it hosted the “2024 Cardiometabolic Syndrome Conference: A Population Health Crisis.” The day-long event on Friday, August 23, was organized by cardiologists Joseph G. Rogers, MD, and Stephanie Coulter, MD, who served as course directors. This conference was not just another medical meeting—it was a critical assembly of minds from across the Texas Medical Center, the Greater Houston area, and the United States, all united by a shared mission: to address the growing health crisis posed by cardiometabolic syndrome.

Cardiometabolic syndrome is generally defined as a culmination of health conditions that together, can increase a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease and other health relationed issues, including diabetes, liver disease, and cancer. People with three or more of the following risk factors may be diagnosed with cardiometabolic syndrome: high fasting blood sugar, low levels of blood HDL (“good” cholesterol), high blood triglycerides (a type of fat), large waist circumference, and high blood pressure. The syndrome is associated with significant levels of disease, death, and health care costs, and the number of people affected has increased along with rising rates of obesity and physical inactivity. Dr. Rogers set the tone for the meeting during his opening remarks, stating, “this is a health crisis of intense proportion and it’s going to be up to us to come up with innovative new solutions.”

The conference became more than just presentations, it was a call to arms from various disciplines, including those working in patient care, clinical research, public health, behavioral science, and the non-profit sector,  to combat and help raise awareness of the syndrome . Throughout the day, two related themes emerged – the necessity for the various stakeholders to develop a unified approach to the shared challenge of preventing and treating cardiometabolic disease, and the understanding that patients at greatest risk for cardiometabolic syndrome would benefit from a well coordinated front of a care team with complementary expertise. Experts also repeatedly acknowledged the role of social determinants (or social drivers) of health in the crisis.

Midday, the conference took an inspiring and engaging turn with a fireside chat between Dr. Rogers and special guest Arianna Huffington. Known for her work with Thrive Global, Huffington brought a unique perspective on wellness and behavioral change. Their discussion of “Behavioral Change and Health Outcomes in the Age of AI” covered many topics related to the cardiometabolic syndrome crisis, such as the power of “habit stacking” to encourage gradual change. Huffington also described the concept of using AI technology as a personalized behavior coach to support a patient’s wellness journey between visits with their doctor. Ideally, the AI coach would provide gentle redirection to the patient without a sense of judgement or disappointment, which can make developing healthy habits more difficult.

The conference presentations and panel discussions can be viewed here on Texas Heart TV.

🎥 Recordings:

CMS Symposium Showcase
Fireside Chat
CMS All Lecture Recordings

 

 📸 Photos:

CMS Conference
CME Faculty Dinner
CMS Think Tank

 

Additional speakers included:

Ambarish Pandey, MD, MSCS, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Salim Virani, MD, PhD, The Texas Heart Institute, Aga Khan University and Baylor College of Medicine

Christie Ballantyne, MD, Baylor College of Medicine

Joseph Galati, MD, Liver Specialists of Texas and Houston Methodist

Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD, Houston Methodist

Sanjiv Harpavat, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital

Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH, Houston Methodist

Shreela Sharma, PhD, RD, LD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Neha J. Pagidipati, MD, MPH, Duke University School of Medicine

Dan Potter, PhD, Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University

Stephen L. Williams, MEd, MPA, Houston Health Department

Katie Pryor, Greater Houston Partnership

Megan Rose, Center for Houston’s Future, Inc.

Chiadi Ndumele, MD, PhD, MHS, Johns Hopkins University and American Heart Association