On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation hosted “At the Heart of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention 2026,” an evening dinner symposium at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul, MN. The event brought together nearly 100 physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to focus on current guidelines, prevention strategies, and treatment options aimed at reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease.
Moderated by Dr. Elizabeth Tuohy, the program featured three expert MHIF physician researchers: Drs. Joseph Jensen, Michael Miedema, and Retu Saxena. Together, they covered topics including the new hypertension guidelines, wearable devices for blood pressure monitoring, calcium scoring, the role of cardiac CT imaging in prevention, and women’s heart health during and after menopause.
Key Takeaways
- High blood pressure is incredibly common, but it is also one of the most powerful risk factors we can control to protect our hearts and brains. Getting an accurate blood pressure reading—using the right cuff, sitting quietly, and taking more than one measurement—is just as important as the numbers themselves, and readings taken at home often tell us more than a single office visit. Healthy habits like a heart‑smart eating pattern, staying active, limiting alcohol, and getting quality sleep can lower blood pressure for everyone but medications are often essential when those steps aren’t enough. Proven first‑line medicines adjusted over time and guided by evaluation for hidden causes like sleep apnea or hormone disorders can help “squeeze” numbers down to safer levels and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and dementia.
- Cardiac CT and coronary artery calcium scoring help uncover plaque in the heart’s arteries before symptoms develop. A quick, non‑invasive calcium score can show whether a person has little to no plaque (score of zero, indicating low short‑term risk) or a higher burden of calcified plaque that calls for more intensive prevention strategies. For many adults with risk factors or a family history of early heart disease, a coronary calcium score can clarify their “true” heart risk and help tailor decisions around cholesterol treatment, lifestyle changes, and follow‑up care.
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women and that risk significantly increases during perimenopause. Menopause represents more than a change in symptoms—it is a major transition that can raise a woman’s risk for heart disease by impacting cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat, inflammation, and even kidney health, which is why this stage of life deserves more attention. Hormone therapy may help with menopause symptoms and offer some metabolic benefits for carefully selected women, as adjunctive therapy for proven heart-health strategies like exercise, healthy eating, weight management, and blood pressure/cholesterol management. Shared decision-making matters most, especially for women with early or surgical menopause, because cardiovascular risk and treatment choices should be individualized.
We are thankful to our event sponsors, faculty, and all who joined us to learn about the latest in cardiovascular disease prevention!
The Nolan Family Center for Cardiovascular Health is driving innovation in cardiovascular prevention research. The center explores a wide range of prevention topics—such as improving cardiovascular risk prediction with coronary artery calcium testing, evaluating blood pressure and cholesterol guidelines, and much more.
