1. Understand the standard method for carotid arterial plaque quantification recommended by the ASE using 2- or 3- dimensionally derived plaque height. 
2. Become familiar with other methods of arterial plaque measurement such as plaque score, plaque area, and plaque volume, including their advantages and disadvantages
3. Understand the clinical context within which carotid arterial plaque quantification enhances cardiovascular risk stratification
4. Become familiar with emerging techniques for carotid arterial plaque composition assessment and its role in detecting the vulnerable patient.

Accreditation Statement:

The American Society of Echocardiography is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Society of Echocardiography designates this activity 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.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is ASE’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC points.   Physicians will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity.

ARDMS and CCI recognize ASE’s certificates and have agreed to honor the CME credit hours toward their registry requirements for sonographers.

Disclosures: 

ASE is committed to ensuring that its educational mission, and all accredited continuing educational programs provide a protected space to learn, teach, and engage in scientific discourse free from influence from organizations that may have an incentive to insert commercial bias into education.

While a monetary or professional affiliation with an ineligible company does not necessarily influence a speaker’s presentation, the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education and policies of the ACCME require that all financial relationships with ineligible companies* be identified and mitigated prior to engaging in an accredited CE activity. In accordance with these policies, ASE actively identified relevant financial relationships between faculty in control of this accredited CE activity and ineligible companies and implemented mitigation strategies to eliminate any potential influence from persons or organizations that may have an incentive to insert commercial bias in this activity. (*Companies that are ineligible to be accredited in the ACCME System (“ineligible companies”) are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.)

Members of the ASE CME Committee members (not serving as faculty) do not have any financial relationships with ineligible companies.  Click here for a list of these members.

None of the ASE staff who were involved in the planning and implementation of this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies.  Click here for a list of ASE staff members.