Acknowledgement: This course is supported by educational grants from Celera and the Applera Charitable Foundation.

Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined by the presence of either DCM or unexplained death (before the age of 30) in two or more closely related family members. The estimate of familial prevalence is influenced by the population which is studied and which methods are used to screen for cardiomyopathy. However, if pedigree construction is combined with serial screening echocardiography on all first degree relatives, then approximately 25-45% of idiopathic DCM will be categorized as familial. This is the basis for the current clinical recommendations to take a careful family history from all probands and screen first degree relatives with echocardiography. This case highlights issues in familial dilated cardiopathy such as clinical variability and incomplete, age-dependant penetrance.

NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS: The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This course should take approximately 1 hours to complete.

COST: $20.00 for the average learner. Participants living in emerging nations receive a 50% discount or can register for free. See our International Pricing Page for details.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Recognize clinical findings in individuals with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM).
2. Appreciate the spectrum of extra-cardiac clinical findings that can be present.
3. Anticipate clinical variability and reduced penetrance in DCM patients and families.
4. Understand the genetic basis of DCM.
5. Appreciate non-genetic causes of DCM.

CLINICAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Appreciate the spectrum of extra-cardiac clinical findings that can be present.
2. Anticipate clinical variability and reduced penetrance in DCM patients and families.

METHOD OF PARTICIPATION:

Registrants participate in the learning process by answering interactive multiple choice questions that are dispersed throughout the case presentation. You must answer a question correctly in order to continue through the course. If you answer a question incorrectly, you will be prompted to try again.

In order to earn credit, physicians must complete the entire educational activity before the termination date (see above). Non-physicians may register for the course but are not eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Instead, non-physicians will earn a certificate of participation after successfully completing the course before its termination date.

COMBINATION OF MEDIA USED:

This internet enduring material is a case-based, interactive presentation comprised mainly of text, interactive questions, and images. A variety of media, including video clips, audio clips, and Flash animation, may be presented. Links to any necessary plugins are provided when necessary, but no plugins are required for general use of the CME website, and you may skip the multimedia presentation(s) within the course if you choose.

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BIRGIT FUNKE, PhD, FACMG Course Co-Director

Dr. Funke received her Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the University of Würzburg, Germany and trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York where she identified the gene for 22q11 deletion syndrome. She continued her research on 22q11DS at Harvard Medical School where she also trained in Clinical Molecular Genetics. Dr. Funke obtained her ABMG Board certification in 2007 and is now Director of Clinical Research and Development at the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine and Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School. She also oversees clinical genetic testing and sign-out for inherited cardiovascular disorders. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

RAJU KUCHERLAPATI, PhD Course Co-Director

Raju Kucherlapati, Ph.D. is the Scientific Director of the Harvard Medical School-Partners HealthCare Center for Genetics and Genomics (HPCGG) and the Paul C. Cabot Professor of Genetics and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS). He is the first Scientific Director of HPCGG. Dr. Kucherlapati was a member of the consortium to map and sequence the human and mouse genomes. His research interests are in the areas of discovery and characterization of human disease genes using a combination of human and mouse genetic and genomic approaches. He was a member of the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research at the National Human Genomics Research Institute, co-chair of the steering committee for the National Cancer Institute’s Mouse Models for Human Cancer Consortium and served on the editorial board of the New England Journal of Medicine and was editor in chief of the journal Genomics. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities

NEAL LAKDAWALA, MD Course Co-Director

Neal Lakdawala, M.D. is a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas HSCSA, where he graduated AOA and received a Masters in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, where he was selected as chief resident. His cardiology fellowship training was at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Lakdawala’s clinical interests are in heart failure, cardiac transplantation, echocardiography and monogenic cardiovascular diseases, including inherited cardiomyopathies, long QT syndrome and Marfan syndrome. His research has been focused on determining the mechanisms of sarcomeric hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy through clinical studies. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

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DANIEL JUDGE, MD Reviewer

Daniel P. Judge, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is Medical Director of the JHU Center for Inherited Heart Disease. Dr. Judge received his MD from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by both residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowship training in Cardiology at Johns Hopkins. In addition to teaching and taking care of patients with inherited forms of heart disease, his laboratory focuses on the molecular genetics and pathophysiology of Marfan syndrome and familial forms of cardiomyopathy. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities

RONALD KANTER, MD Reviewer

Ronald J. Kanter, MD is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Cardiology at Duke University School of Medicine. He is Director of Pediatric Electrophysiology. Dr. Kanter received his MD from Vanderbilt University, followed by residency training at the University of Florida and fellowship training in Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Florida and Childrens Hospital Boston. Dr. Kanter focuses on children and adults having congenital heart disease and arrhythmias, and particularly on ablative therapies for tachyarrhythmias. DISCLOSURE: PGX Medical/Advisory Board Content Area: Genetic Testing

NANCY MENDELSOHN, MD Reviewer

Dr. Mendelsohn is the Medical Director in the Division of Medical Genetics at the Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, St. Paul & Minneapolis. She is also a staff geneticist at Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, St. Paul & Minneapolis, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul, MN, and Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Mendelsohn is also an Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Minnesota. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities

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SANJIV CHOPRA, MD Planner

Dr. Sanjiv Chopra is Professor of Medicine and Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Harvard Medical School and Senior Consultant in Hepatology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. In his role as Faculty Dean for Continuing Education, Dr. Chopra provides oversight and leadership of the Department and oversees the academic development of our programs. Dr. Chopra is an experienced clinician, researcher, and educator. In his research roles, he has served both as a principal investigator as well as co-investigator. He has more than 120 publications and five books to his credit, addressing topics in disease states, patient care, and leadership. Dr. Chopra’s teaching experience is extensive, and he has won numerous teaching awards for his work with medical students, residents and physicians. Currently, he directs and speaks at 10 multiday CME courses, nine of which are through HMS. For his full bio, please click here. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

ERIN HARVEY, MSC, CGC Planner

Erin K. Harvey, MSc, CGC, was the Assistant Director of Education for Partners Healthcare Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine (PCPGM) from 2008 to 2011. She is a board-certified genetic counselor and has worked with a wide range of primary healthcare professionals in the development of genetics-related, case-based continuing medical education (CME). In addition to being the series editor for PCPGM’s genetics CMEs, she coordinated an advanced human genetics course for Harvard Medical School’s Clinical Genetics Residency training program. In 2011, she accepted a position with Genzyme as a Scientific Communications Principal for the Personalized Genetic Health division. Prior to joining PCPGM, Ms. Harvey spent five years with the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics, and was seconded for one year to the United Kingdom to help a similar organization there – the National Genetics Education and Development Centre – create genetics resources for the UK’s nationalized medical education curriculum. Ms. Harvey received her master’s degree in science in 2003 from the Johns Hopkins University/National Institutes of Health joint genetic counseling training program. She received a B.A. in English Writing from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas in 1993, and worked as a journalist prior to pursuing a career in the biological sciences. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

ANDI LONG, EDM Planner

Andi Long directs the Department of Continuing Education’s Distance Learning group, which offers a variety of online continuing medical education programs to health care professionals around the world. Andi develops strategies for new pilot programs and systematically rolls out new distance learning initiatives and has a leadership role in IT planning and other online processes for HMS DCE. She oversees the day-to-day operations of each distance learning activity and ensures ACCME compliance across all enduring programs. She has had the privilege of working with hundreds of Harvard Medical School Faculty members to develop high-quality, engaging online programs that physicians in more than 170 countries have taken part in. Andi earned her Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and graduated from Bridgewater State College, summa cum laude, with a degree in English. Her professional interests focus on teaching and learning with new technologies and online course development. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

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NUMBER OF CREDITS: 1 

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This course should take approximately 1 hours to complete.

Within 2 weeks of completing the course, you will receive your certificate via email.

Click the image to view a sample of the certificate

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