Advanced Course on Non-Classical Risk Factors

Our aim is to raise awareness and increase understanding of non-classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease among the scientific and research community, clinicians, and healthcare practitioners. While traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes are well-recognized, emerging evidence highlights the role of non-classical factors – such as chronic inflammation, metabolic disturbances, gut microbiota, psychosocial stress, and environmental influences – in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease.

Course structure

This e-learning course consists of two modules. Every presentation takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete and includes multiple-choice questions designed to reinforce key learning objectives. Once you’ve listened to a presentation you will be asked to answer multiple choice questions on it. You need to achieve a score of at least 80% correct to pass.

Language

Presentations are given in English.

Details

Date of preparation: December 4, 2025
Last revised: March 11, 2026
Expiry date: March 11, 2028

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define non-classical cardiovascular risk factors and how these factors differ from traditional risk factors
• Explain the emerging evidence linking non-classical factors to cardiovascular disease
• Identify major categories of non-classical risk factors
• Recognise and explain the relevance of chronic inflammation, metabolic disturbances, gut microbiota, psychosocial stress, and environmental influences
• Discuss the mechanisms by which non-classical factors contribute to cardiovascular pathology
• Outline biological, behavioural, and environmental pathways supported by current scientific evidence
• Evaluate the importance of incorporating non-classical risk factors into cardiovascular research and clinical practice
• Integrate knowledge of non-classical risk factors into scientific inquiry, clinical decision-making, or healthcare practice where appropriate

This e-learning course is designed for clinicians, and healthcare practitioners who are involved in the study, prevention, diagnosis, or management of cardiovascular disease. It is particularly relevant for professionals seeking to broaden their understanding of emerging, non-classical cardiovascular risk factors and to integrate evolving scientific evidence into research, clinical practice, and healthcare decision-making.

Advanced Course on Non-classical Risk Factors: Morning session (ELM/2026/00030) & Advanced Course on Non-classical Risk Factors: Afternoon session (ELM/2026/00031) have been accredited by the EACCME®, the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) to provide the following CME activity for medical specialists.

Each medical specialist should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

The EACCME is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Only those e-learning materials that are displayed on the UEMS-EACCME website have formally been accredited.

Through an agreement between the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA), physicians may convert EACCME credits to an equivalent number of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(TM).

Information on the process to convert EACCME credit to AMA credit can be found at www.ama-assn.org/education/earn-credit-participation-international-activities.

Scientific Directors

Professor Evangelos Liberopoulos, Professor of Medicine – Metabolic Diseases in the School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

Professor Kirsten B. Holven, Head of Section of Clinical Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo and a researcher at the National Advisory Unit on Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), Oslo University Hospital, Norway