5104-301A  Visceral Fat: The Invisible Health Risk

A free, certified recording of a one-hour live webinar for radiologists, radiologic technologists, primary care providers, endocrinologists, and cardiologists

This course expires November 1, 2021

If you want credit, this course must be completed (i.e. view course content (PDF file), pass the posttest, AND print the certificate) by no later than October 31, 2021 by 5:00PM

Please note, after this course has expired, no aspect of the course will be accessible, including the course link.

Course Overview
It is well-established that both the distribution and volume of fat, especially visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is a predictor of future health. While normal amounts of visceral fat pad and protect organs, an excess amount of VAT is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome and increases health risks for cancer, stroke, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.(1, 2, 3) Excess VAT can impact lifestyle by increasing the risk of dementia, depression, arthritis, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disorders. Storing excess fat around the organs increases the production of inflammatory substances that interfere with hormones that control appetite, weight, mood, and brain function.(1)

There are several methods for quantifying VAT, including waist-to-hip measurement, bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy absorptiometry (DEXA), CT, MRI, and ultrasound. Although CT is considered the gold standard because of its accuracy and reliability, its drawbacks are patient exposure to ionizing radiation and the relatively high cost of a CT exam.

DEXA has been found to be an accurate means for measuring VAT volume and is generally more accessible to patients. DEXA offers several advantages compared to CT including reduced radiation dose, decreased scan times, and lower cost.(4 ) Importantly, obtaining VAT measurements with DEXA is easily performed in conjunction with evaluation of bone mineral density, fracture assessment and risk, and whole body composition.(5)

1. Visceral fat: What It is and Why It’s So Dangerous. Dr. Axe website. http://draxe.com/visceral-fat/ Accessed March 1, 2016.
2. The Viciousness of Visceral Fat. Health and Fitness Talk website. http://www.healthandfitnesstalk.com/the-viciousness-of-visceral-fat/ Accessed March 1, 2016.
3. Visceral fat tied to coronary disease. AuntMinnieEurope website. http://www.auntminnieeurope.com/index.aspx?sec=prtf&sub=def&pag=dis&itemId=612953&printpage=true&fsec=sup&fsub=car Accessed May 5, 2016.
4. Kaul S, Rothney MP, Peters DM, et al. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for quantification of visceral fat. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012;20(6):1313-1318.
5. Choi YJ. Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry: Beyond Bone Mineral Density Determination. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2016;31(1):25-30.

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

• Discuss the health risks associated with excess body fat, especially visceral fat
• Explain how excess visceral fat produces inflammatory substances that can interfere both with hormone function and the development of metabolic syndrome
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of anthropomorphic and imaging for quantifying fat volume
• Implement DEXA protocols to accurately quantify visceral fat volume
• Enlighten and educate patients on body fat assessment and means for managing and improving their health

ACCME Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and International Center for Postgraduate Medical Education. The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation
Physicians
The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

SA-CME: This activity meets the criteria for self-assessment toward the purpose of fulfilling requirements in the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Maintenance of Certification Program.

The European Accreditation Council for CME (EACCME®)
The UEMS-EACCME® has mutual recognition agreements with the American Medical Association (AMA) for live events and e-learning materials. For more information go to https://www.ama-assn.org/education/uemseaccme-cme-credit-recognition.

Radiologic Technologists
This program has been approved by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) for 1.0 hour of ARRT Category A continuing education credit.

How to Enroll and Participate
There are no fees or prerequisites to participate in this program. Estimated time to complete this activity is one hour.

• Click ENROLL NOW, CONTINUE, CONFIRM ORDER, and ACCESS COURSE NOW.
• Click on the blue link. Complete the precourse questions and SUBMIT.
• Click on the blue link again to view the recording.

How to Receive a Credit Certificate

• Log-in to your account at www.icpme.us
• View the entire educational activity session. At the conclusion of the lecture, close the Vimeo window.
• Return to the course in your account at www.icpme.us.
• From the COURSE HOME page, click the button for POSTTEST and for EVALUATION.
• A passing grade of at least 75% is required to receive credit. You may take the test up to three times.
• Upon receipt of a passing grade, you will be able to print a certificate of credit from your account at www.icpme.us

Your certificate of credit will remain in your account at www.icpme.us as a permanent record of your participation.

Faculty
Vyvyane Loh, MD
Dr. Loh is board-certified in Obesity Medicine and Internal Medicine. She graduated from Boston University School of Medicine and trained at Newton-Wellesley Hospital where she also served as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine. Dr. Loh worked at Health Management Resources and was the medical obesity specialist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery before starting her own practice. She serves on the American Board of Obesity Medicine exam writing board and is a member of the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society. Her other achievements include choreography and writing. She was the recipient of the Bunting/Radcliffe Fellowship in Fiction in 2006, a Guggenheim Fellow in Fiction in 2008, and was short-listed for the 2005 international IMPAC Award in Literature. Her diverse skills support her commitment to celebrating the full range of our humanity in an increasingly technological and disembodied world through art and the healing sciences.

Disclosure Information
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) requires instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest (COI) they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified COI are thoroughly vetted and resolved according to PIM policy. The existence or absence of COI for anyone in a position to control content will be disclosed to participants prior to the start of each activity.

The faculty has reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Vyvyane Loh, MD, has no disclosures to report.

The following planners and managers have reported NO financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Trace Hutchison, PharmD
Samantha Mattiucci, PharmD, CHCP
Linda McLean, MS 
Victoria Phoenix, BS           
Jan Schultz, RN, MSN, CHCP
Judi Smelker-Mitchek, MBA, RN, MSN                    

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. 

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Questions
For questions regarding this program, please contact ICPME:
Email: information@icpmed.com

Jointly provided by

               
 

This activity is supported by an independent grant from Hologic, Inc.

Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.