Doctors may overlook associated factors and risks when addressing cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure or hypertension and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

"Doctors make the mistake of simply looking at the numbers (the blood pressure reading) and fail to consider the entire concerns of the patient when rendering treatments," says internist-cardiologist Dr. Gilbert C. Vilela, chief of the Coronary Artery Disease section of the Philippine Heart Center.

"If that patient were a 50 year old male, who smokes and whose father died of a heart attack – he would be better off if his doctor finds his BP reading to be 180/100, than if his BP reading would be 130/85. Why? Because when a doctor sees an elevated BP reading such as 180/100, the patient would definitely receive treatment for his hypertension. But if the BP is still within normal range such as 130/85, the doctor would likely dismiss this as the patient’s normal BP, not knowing that the patient’s risk of dying from a stroke or a heart attack is just as high as when his BP would be 180/100.

In many cases, doctors forget that the patient has other risk factors that increase his chances of having a heart attack. Some doctors only see the numbers on the BP apparatus, not realizing that when certain risk factors come together they can further amplify a patient’s chance of a heart attack," Dr. Vilela stresses. Vilela also points out that many physicians need to be regularly updated in the area of managing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

According to Dr. Vilela, the new therapeutic approach in managing cardio vascular diseases and metabolic diseases also includes managing all the risk factors of the disease.

Realizing this need in the medical practice, the center will hold a symposium with the theme Emerging Concepts, Shifting Practices, as part of its 2007 Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Review Course from February 23-24.

Topics such as Managing risk factors related to CVD and metabolic diseases will be tackled, along with New targets and new options in the war against heart attack. Besides this, the symposium will also outline the evidence-based approach to the management of heart attacks and unstable angina, while updates on difficult situations at the CCU will also be discussed.

According to Dr. Vilela, the review will aim to identify what works best with the patients by reviewing the treatment options and clinical trial results.

Schwarz Pharma Philippines, a subsidiary of Schwarz Pharma AG in Monheim, Germany also supports the project.