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UF Health cardiologist among national leaders on cholesterol awareness

Gladys Velarde, MD, an associate professor of medicine in the cardiology division at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, is part of an esteemed group of experts looking to raise nationwide awareness about cholesterol.

Velarde is a member of the inaugural steering committee for the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. This 14-member group met in March in San Diego to launch the Cholesterol Awareness Initiative, which will address major cholesterol concerns among high-risk patients and underserved populations.

The committee includes experts from a wide range of sectors such as health care, higher education, the federal government, private business and nonprofits. The members will focus on three evidence-based strategies to reduce cholesterol-management barriers and increase awareness about cholesterol’s effects on cardiovascular health. Those strategies are choosing appropriate therapy, understanding risks and managing those risks.

“This cholesterol-management initiative will continue for the next three years and begins at a time of some general confusion from the public about cholesterol because of newly announced dietary guidelines,” Velarde said. “Our work will help people understand how cholesterol affects their heart health.”

Velarde, who specializes in cardiovascular disease, is director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Program at UF Health Jacksonville. She is also co-author and editor of “Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women” – a guide and resource for physicians treating women with heart disease. It is the first published book in the country that’s solely devoted to treating heart disease in women on a broad level.

For more information about the Cholesterol Awareness Initiative, visit http://nationalforum.org/cholesterol-awareness.

Featured Faculty

Gladys P. Velarde, MD, FACC, FAHA

Gladys P. Velarde, MD, FACC, FAHA

Professor
Medical Director, Women's Cardiovascular Heart Program; Program Director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship