Optimal diet and lifestyle strategies for the management of Cardio-Metabolic Risk

Professor Bruce Griffin – Principal Organiser of the Scientific Programme

Cardio-Metabolic Risk (CMR) describes a heterogeneous collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including dyslipidaemia, dysglycaemia, moderate hypertension and vascular dysfunction, which arise chiefly from the storage of excess visceral adipose tissue and ectopic fat in key metabolic tissues like the liver. CMR is a major underlying cause of early, subclinical CVD risk in populations, primarily because of its intimate association with central obesity, and contribution of diet and physical inactivity to this condition. Fortunately, these dietary and behavioural origins of CMR, make it highly amenable to therapeutic lifestyle changes for the primary prevention of CVD.

An overall objective of the Winter Conference at the Royal Society of Medicine, is to explore the impact of diet and lifestyle factors on the development of CMR, and to provide insight into how the modification of these factors can be used in practice as effective strategies to reduce CMR, and lower CVD risk. The programme of this two-day conference begins with a plenary overview of the relevance of CMR to clinical practice and public health by Professor Jean-Pierre Després (Laval University, Canada). The symposia then focus on the role of the amount and quality of dietary fats on CMR, and how changing the quality of dietary fats can exert differential effects on key metabolic tissues, including the liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. The first day concludes with a keynote lecture; ‘The optimal diet – So many pieces to the pie!’ delivered by Professor Eric Rimm (Harvard Medical School, USA), one of the most eminent researchers in the field of human nutrition and CVD. Day two turns the spotlight onto the role of dietary carbohydrates; the critical importance of dietary fibre and controversy over free sugars, and emerging evidence for the potentially beneficial effects of resistant starches. The final symposium broadens the remit to address the impact of lifestyle factors, including the significance of whole dietary patterns, meal timing, and whether our dietary guidelines are relevant to people on cholesterollowering and other drug therapies. The conference will also include a session of original communications on each day, to showcase new and innovative research in nutritional science from the UK and around the world.

The scientific programme has been designed to inform and be of interest to a wide audience of clinicians, health practitioners, dietitians, academics, postgraduate students, members of the food industry and commercial sectors, and the media. We look forward to welcoming you to a conference that will offer new insights into the most common, but modifiable source of increased CVD risk, and how to translate evidencebased research on CMR into diet and lifestyle strategies to avoid its adverse consequences to cardiovascular health.