The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center will conclude its 32ndannual Green Valley Lecture Series on Thursday, April 18, at 10 a.m., with “Arthritis and Heart Disease: Is inflammation the common culprit?,” presented by C. Kent Kwoh, MD.
The lecture series is offered in cooperation with Green Valley Recreation Inc. Lectures will be at Canoa Hills Social Center, 3660 S. Camino del Sol, Green Valley. The lecture series is free and open to everyone, and includes time for questions and answers. No reservations are required and refreshments are provided.
Recent studies show that men with osteoarthritis were up to 40 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease than men without arthritis, while women were 23 percent more likely. Although osteoarthritis is not in itself inflammatory, its damage can cause inflammation, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Additionally, cardiovascular disease heads the list of the serious complications people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience. Having RA doubles the risk of most heart problems, including heart attack, stroke and atherosclerosis.
Dr. Kwoh will discuss the key role of the inflammatory process in arthritis-related diseases and the subsequent increases in the risk of cardiovascular disease. He also will share the science behind the arthritis-cardiovascular connection and recent research initiatives on the horizon.
Dr. Kwoh is the director of the UA Arthritis Center; chief, Division of Rheumatology; professor of medicine and medical imaging; and The Charles A.L. and Suzanne M. Stephens Endowed Chair in Rheumatology, UA College of Medicine – Tucson.
This lecture is co-sponsored by the UA Arthritis Center. For more information about the UA Arthritis Center, please visit arthritis.arizona.edu.
For more information about the UA Sarver Heart Center, please visit heart.arizona.edu.
The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center’s 150 members include faculty members from cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, pediatric cardiology, neurology, vascular surgery, radiology, endocrinology, emergency medicine, nursing, pharmacy and basic sciences. The UA Sarver Heart Center emphasizes a highly collaborative research environment, fostering innovative translational or “bench-to-bedside” research and working toward a future free of heart disease and stroke. If you would like to give permission for Sarver Heart Center to contact you about heart research studies, please complete a Cardiology Research Registry Information Form. The academic mission of the Sarver Heart Center encompasses four fellowship programs in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, and electrophysiology.