Pete Williams Speaks at ICHAN 2026 on the Future of Preventative Cardiology

This year, Pete Williams, Founder of Functional Medicine Associates London, returned to ICHAN 2026 as a featured speaker to discuss one of the fastest-evolving areas of healthcare: preventative cardiology.

Pete’s lecture, “Rethinking Cardiovascular Care: Integrating Evidence, Innovation and Individualised Pathways”, explored how advances in cholesterol research, genetics, imaging, and lifestyle medicine are changing the future of heart disease prevention.

The session focused on helping practitioners better understand modern cardiovascular risk, while also addressing the growing problem of health misinformation online, particularly around cholesterol, statins, and heart disease.

A New Way of Looking at Heart Health

One of the key themes of the talk was that cardiovascular disease is far more complex than the old idea of simply “good” and “bad” cholesterol.

Pete explained that modern preventative cardiology now looks at a much wider picture, including:

• ApoB particle number
• Lipoprotein(a)
• lifetime exposure to LDL cholesterol
• inflammation
• genetics and inherited risk
• metabolic health
• advanced imaging
• lifestyle and exercise habits over time

The presentation highlighted that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide and a major driver of heart disease and stroke, responsible for around one in three deaths globally.

Traditional prevention focuses on well-known risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure and cholesterol management, smoking, and type 2 diabetes. These factors remain essential, but they do not always capture the full picture of the risk of cardiovascular disease across a lifetime.

Rather than waiting for symptoms such as chest pain or reduced exercise tolerance to appear, the focus is shifting towards identifying risk earlier and supporting long-term prevention strategies that address multiple lifestyle factors.

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Combining Functional Medicine and Conventional Cardiology

Throughout the lecture, Pete discussed the importance of combining functional medicine principles with evidence-based cardiology.

He explained how Functional Medicine Associates works alongside consultant cardiologists and established clinical guidelines, rather than against them.

The talk referenced major cardiovascular guidance from organisations including:

• NICE
• European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
• American College of Cardiology (ACC)
• American Heart Association (AHA)
• National Lipid Association (NLA)

A major message throughout the presentation was the importance of looking at the totality of evidence, rather than relying on social media trends, headlines, or anecdotal stories.

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Understanding ApoB, LDL and Artery Health

A large part of the session focused on the latest understanding of atherosclerosis and plaque development.

Pete discussed research showing that ApoB-containing particles, including LDL cholesterol, play a central role in the development of ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease).

He also explored newer evidence suggesting that LDL particles can cross into the artery wall even when the lining of the artery appears healthy.

Importantly, the presentation explained that cardiovascular risk is not simply about one cholesterol result at one point in time. Instead, long-term exposure matters most.

Pete discussed the growing concept of “LDL life years”, highlighting that plaque develops gradually over decades.

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Genetics and Personalised Risk Assessment

Another important topic was the role of genetics in cardiovascular disease.

The lecture explored:

• polygenic risk
• inherited cholesterol disorders
• lipoprotein(a)
• advanced lipid testing
• metabolic markers
• endothelial health

Pete explained that some people inherit genetic patterns that significantly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease over time.

At the same time, he reinforced that genetics are not destiny. Lifestyle still matters enormously, but understanding inherited risk allows for earlier and more personalised prevention strategies.

The presentation also highlighted that some individuals may not be able to reduce cardiovascular risk sufficiently through lifestyle measures alone, particularly where genetics strongly influence lipid metabolism.

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The Growing Role of Imaging and AI

The session also covered how advanced imaging and artificial intelligence are changing preventative cardiology.

Pete discussed technologies including:

• coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring
• CIMT imaging
• coronary CT angiography (CCTA)
• vulnerable plaque analysis
• AI-assisted inflammation assessment

These tools allow clinicians to identify plaque and cardiovascular risk earlier, often before symptoms develop.

The goal is to create a more personalised and precise approach to prevention, rather than relying only on traditional cardiovascular risk calculator models.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of earlier health checks and proactive assessment within both specialist clinics and primary care settings, particularly for individuals with strong family histories of cardiovascular disease.

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Lifestyle Still Sits at the Centre

Although the presentation covered advanced science and technology, lifestyle remained central throughout the lecture.

Pete discussed the importance of:

• regular exercise
• maintaining metabolic health
• Mediterranean-style nutrition and healthy eating
• reducing excess intake of highly processed foods and certain saturated fats
• movement throughout the day
• maintaining healthy body composition
• reducing long-term inflammation

The talk also explored newer research around “exercise snacks”, showing how short bursts of movement across the day may positively influence vascular health and nitric oxide production.

This included discussions around exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and stopping smoking, all of which play an important role in long-term cardiovascular prevention and overall heart health.

At the same time, the session acknowledged that lifestyle alone is not always enough for every patient, particularly for those with elevated inherited cardiovascular risk.

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A Well-Received Session at ICHAN 2026

Pete’s presentation was very well received by attendees and fellow speakers.

As ICHAN shared following the event:

“We were delighted to welcome Pete back as a returning speaker and audience favourite. His presentation on cardiovascular care was well received, combining valuable clinical insight with an engaging and confident speaking style. He also played a key role in a lively panel discussion, contributing thoughtful perspectives and encouraging dynamic debate with fellow speakers that greatly enriched the session.”

The event highlighted the growing interest in evidence-led preventative cardiology and personalised approaches to long-term heart health.

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Looking Ahead

Preventative cardiology is evolving rapidly.

By combining:

• evidence-based medicine
• advanced testing
• genetics
• imaging
• lifestyle medicine
• and long-term risk reduction strategies

Functional Medicine Associates aims to help patients better understand cardiovascular risk before disease becomes symptomatic.

Earlier prevention strategies are not simply about extending lifespan, but also about protecting long-term mobility, independence, and overall quality of life.

A key message throughout the lecture was that prevention is not about quick fixes. It is about understanding long-term risk, applying the best available evidence, and building sustainable strategies that may help reduce your risk of future heart attack or stroke over time.

If you have concerns about your heart health, visit our preventative cardiology page to find out more about how Functional Medicine Associates could help you or contact us.

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