First-of-its-Kind Summit Will Explore Sex and Gender-Based Factors Impacting Vascular Health
Unique Symposium Aims to Advance the Development of Sex-Specific
Medical Technology for Treating Vascular Diseases
SPENCER, Ind.--(Business Wire)--
"The Impact of Sex on Vascular Diseases and Implications for Novel
Therapeutics," a conference to examine how sex and gender differences
affect vascular disease in both men and women, is scheduled for
February 8, 2008 at the world-renowned Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in
Los Angeles. The one-day summit brings together top medical and
scientific experts specialized in sex and gender-based medicine.
Sponsored by Cook Medical, the first-of-its-kind scientific
symposium will explore the impact of sex and gender on vascular
diseases including heart attack and strokes.
The goal of the symposium is to further advance research in
sex-specific treatments for vascular diseases and develop a plan of
action to address the inherent differences in how men and women are
treated for these conditions, ensuring the best quality treatment for
each group.
Each year, heart disease kills more Americans than cancer. Nearly
twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke
and other cardiovascular diseases than from all forms of cancer,
according to the American Heart Association. Several factors can
increase the risk of heart disease and stroke including age, family
history, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and physical
inactivity. Recent studies also have shown that biological differences
between men and women can also impact vascular health.
"Although heart disease is a leading killer of both men and women,
research has shown that women may not be diagnosed or treated as
aggressively as men, leaving them twice as likely to die from a heart
attack," said Saralyn Mark, MD. "It is imperative that the medical
community identify and evaluate the sex and gender-based discrepancies
in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease, as well as the
impact current medical technology can have on each of the sexes. This
summit is an important step in advancing medical care in this area and
will provide an open dialogue to promote further development of new
sex and gender-specific treatments to improve heart health for both
men and women."
The one-day summit, conducted by renowned cardiologist and
gender-based medical specialists, will debate the impact that sex and
gender differences have in the formation and treatment of vascular
diseases. Specific topics of discussion will include the following:
-- Novel Biotech and Biopharmaceutical Therapeutic Approaches:
Opportunities for Development in Vascular Diseases
-- Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence, Risk
Factors, and Outcomes
-- Sex Differences in Vascular Cellular and Tissue Engineering
-- Sex Differences in Atherosclerosis
-- Sex Differences in Thrombosis and Current Thrombolytic
Strategy Response: Implications of New Local Delivery
-- Sex Differences in Medication Response and Pharmacogenetics:
Implications for Drug Utilization and Development
-- Sex Differences in Hormonal Regulation of Vascular Tissue:
Implications for PCI Restenosis and Local Drug Delivery
-- Sex Differences in Stem Cells and Stem Therapies: Implications
for Application and Drug Delivery
"Recent studies have shown that a one-size-fits-all approach to
medical technology is not always effective when treating male and
female patients," said Christina Anne, Vice President of Cook Women's
Health. "Inherent differences exist in the biological make-up of men
and women and these differences can have profound implications on
their medical treatment. Therefore, it is extremely important that the
healthcare community be proactive in better understanding these
variations and determining how to better customize medical technology
to address them. Through this summit and others like it, we hope to
improve healthcare for men and women across the globe."
Cook Women's Health has brought a new level of patient-centered
innovation to the global market recognizing that women have special
health and medical needs. Cook Women's Health will continue to
uniquely address prevalent areas of women's health including pelvic
floor repair, high-risk obstetrics, assisted reproductive technology
and gynecological imaging.
About Cook Medical:
Cook Medical was the first company to introduce interventional
devices in the United States. Today, the company participates in all
global markets, integrating device design, biopharma, gene and cell
therapy and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical
outcomes. Cook won the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the
Year for 2006 from Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry magazine.
For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.
Cook Urology and Women's Health
Gail McDaniel, 812-369-9727
gail.mcdaniel@cookmedical.com
or
Racepoint Group, Inc.
Shannon Breen, 781-487-4607
sbreen@racepointgroup.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
