
CardioNerds co-founder Dr. Dan Ambinder joins CardioNerds join Dr. Pooja Prasad, Dr. Khoa Nguyen and expert Dr. Abigail Khan (Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine) from Oregon Health & Science University and discuss a case of mechanical valve thrombosis. Audio editing by CardioNerds Academy Intern, student doctor Adriana Mares. 



 A 23-year-old pregnant woman with a mechanical aortic valve presented to the maternal cardiac clinic for a follow-up visit. On physical exam, a loud grade three crescendo-decrescendo murmur was audible and transthoracic echocardiography revealed severely elevated gradients across the aortic valve.  Fluoroscopy confirmed an immobile leaflet disk. Thrombolysis was successfully performed using a low dose ultra-slow infusion of thrombolytic therapy, leading to normal valve function eight days later.



Treatment options for mechanical aortic valve thrombosis include slow-infusion, low-dose thrombolytic therapy or emergency surgery. In addition to discussing diagnosis and management of mechanical valve thrombosis, we highlight the importance of preventing valve thrombosis during the hypercoagulable state of pregnancy with careful pre-conception counseling and a detailed anticoagulation plan.



See this case published in European Heart Journal - Case Reports. 







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Pearls - mechanical valve thrombosis




* The hypercoagulable state of pregnancy presents a risk for women with mechanical heart valves with contemporary data estimating the rate of valve thrombosis during pregnancy at around 5%.



* Thrombolytic therapy is a (relatively) safe alternative to surgery and should be considered first line for treatment of prosthetic valve thrombosis in all patients, especially in pregnant women.




331. Case Report: New Onset Murmur In A Pregnant Woman With A Mechanical Heart Valve – Oregon Health & Science University

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CardioNerds (Drs. Gurleen Kaur and Richard Ferraro) and episode FIT Lead Dr. Spencer Carter (Cardiology Fellow at UT Southwestern) discuss the clinical implementation of GLP-1 receptor agonists with Dr. Neha Pagidapati (Faculty at Duke University School of Medicine). In this episode of the CardioNerds Cardiovascular Prevention Series, we discuss the clinical implementation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. We cover the clinical indications, metabolic and cardiovascular benefits, and potential limitations of these emerging and exciting therapies. Show notes were drafted by Dr. Spencer Carter. Audio editing was performed by CardioNerds Academy Intern, student Dr. Pacey Wetstein.



This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) with independent medical education grant support from Novo Nordisk. See below for continuing medical education credit.



Claim CME for this episode HERE. 











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Pearls and Quotes - Clinical Implementation of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists




* GLP-1 agonists work through a variety of mechanisms to counteract metabolic disease. They increase insulin secretion, inhibit glucagon secretion, slow gastric motility, and increase satiety to limit excess energy intake.



* Patients with type II diabetes and an elevated risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease should be considered for GLP-1 agonist therapy regardless of hemoglobin A1c.



* GLP-1 agonists offer significant ASCVD risk reduction even in the absence of diabetes. Newer data suggest a significant reduction in cardiovascular events with GLP-1 agonist therapy in patients who are overweight or obese and have a prior history of heart disease.



* GLP-1 agonists should generally be avoided in patients with a history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2. As these medications slow gastric emptying, relative contraindications include history of recurrent pancreatitis and gastroparesis.



* GLP-1 agonists should be initially prescribed at the lowest dose and slowly uptitrated to avoid gastrointestinal side effects.





367. GLP-1 Agonists: Clinical Implementation of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists with Dr. Neha Pagidapati


CardioNerds (Dr. Dan Ambinder), Dr. Nino Isakadze (EP Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital), and Dr. Karan Desai (Cardiology Faculty at Johns Hopkins Hospital) join Digital Health Experts, Dr. Alexis Beatty (Cardiologist and associate professor in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF) and Dr. Seth Martin (Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Mobile Technologies to Achieve Equity in Cardiovascular Health (mTECH), which is part of the American Heart Association (AHA) Strategically Focused Research Networks on Health Technology & Innovation) for another installment of the Digital Health Series. In this specific episode, we discuss pearls, pitfalls, and everything in between for emerging digital health innovators. This series is supported by an ACC Chapter Grant in collaboration with Corrie Health.  Audio editing by CardioNerds Academy Intern, student doctor Shivani Reddy.



In this series, supported by an ACC Chapter Grant and in collaboration with Corrie Health, we hope to provide all CardioNerds out there a primer on the role of digital heath in cardiovascular medicine. Use of versatile hardware and software devices is skyrocketing in everyday life. This provides unique platforms to support healthcare management outside the walls of the hospital for patients with or at risk for cardiovascular disease. In addition, evolution of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and telemedicine is augmenting clinical decision making at a new level fueling a revolution in cardiovascular disease care delivery. Digital health has the potential to bridge the gap in healthcare access, lower costs of healthcare and promote equitable delivery of evidence-based care to patients.



This CardioNerds Digital Health series is made possible by contributions of stellar fellow leads and expert faculty from several programs, led by series co-chairs, Dr. Nino Isakadze and Dr. Karan Desai.  



Enjoy this Circulation 2022 Paths to Discovery article to learn about the CardioNerds story, mission, and values.







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366. Digital Health: Integrating Digital Health into Practice with Dr. Alexis Beatty and Dr. Seth Martin


Immunotherapy is a type of novel cancer therapy that leverages the body’s own immune system to target cancer cells. In this episode, we focused on the most common type of immunotherapy: immune checkpoint inhibitors or ICIs. ICIs are monoclonal antibodies targeting immune “checkpoints” or brakes to enhance T-cell recognition against tumors. ICI has become a pillar in cancer care, with over 100 approvals and 5,000 ongoing trials. ICIs can lead to non-specific activation of the immune system, causing off-target adverse events such as cardiotoxicities. ICI-related myocarditis, though less common, can be fatal in 30% of cases. Clinical manifestations vary but can include chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations, heart failure symptoms, and arrhythmias. Diagnosis involves echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and endomyocardial biopsy. Treatment includes high-dose corticosteroids with potential additional immunosuppressants. Baseline EKG and troponin are recommended before ICI initiation, but routine surveillance is not advised. Subclinical myocarditis is a challenge, with unclear management implications. So let’s dive in and learn about cardiotoxicity of novel immunotherapies with Drs. Giselle Suero (series co-chair), Evelyn Song (episode FIT lead), Daniel Ambinder (CardioNerds co-founder), and Tomas Neilan (faculty expert). Audio editing by CardioNerds Academy Intern, Dr. Maryam Barkhordarian.



 This episode is supported by a grant from Pfizer Inc.



This CardioNerds Cardio-Oncology series is a multi-institutional collaboration made possible by contributions of stellar fellow leads and expert faculty from several programs, led by series co-chairs, Dr. Giselle Suero Abreu, Dr. Dinu Balanescu, and Dr. Teodora Donisan. 











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Pearls and Quotes - Cardiotoxicity of Novel Immunotherapies




* Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) play a crucial role in current oncology treatment by enhancing T-cell recognition against tumors.



* ICI-related cardiac immune-related adverse events (iRAEs) include myocarditis, heart failure,

365: CardioOncology: Cardiotoxicity of Novel Immunotherapies with Dr. Tomas Neilan


CardioNerds join Dr. Inbar Raber and Dr. Susan Mcilvaine from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for a Fenway game. They discuss the following case: A 72-year-old man presents with two weeks of progressive dyspnea, orthopnea, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and right upper quadrant pain. He has a history of essential thrombocytosis, Barrett’s esophagus, basal cell skin cancer, and hypertension treated with hydralazine. He is found to have bilateral pleural effusions and a pericardial effusion. He undergoes a work-up, including pericardial cytology, which is negative, and blood tests reveal a positive ANA and positive anti-histone antibody. He is diagnosed with drug-induced lupus due to hydralazine and starts treatment with intravenous steroids, resulting in an improvement in his symptoms. Expert commentary is provided by UT Southwestern internal medicine residency program director Dr. Salahuddin (“Dino”) Kazi.







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Pearls - A Drug's Adverse Effect Unleashes the Wolf




* The differential diagnosis for pericardial effusion includes metabolic, malignant, medication-induced, traumatic, rheumatologic, and infectious etiologies.



* While pericardial cytology can aid in securing a diagnosis of cancer in patients with malignant pericardial effusions, the sensitivity of the test is limited at around 50%. 



* Common symptoms of drug-induced lupus include fever, arthralgias, myalgias, rash, and/or serositis.



* Anti-histone antibodies are typically present in drug-induced lupus, while anti-dsDNA antibodies are typically absent (unlike in systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE).



* Hydralazine-induced lupus has a prevalence of 5-10%, with a higher risk for patients on higher doses or longer durations of drug exposure. Onset is usually months to years after drug initiation.




Show Notes - A Drug's Adverse Effect Unleashes the Wolf




* There is a broad differential diagnosis for pericardial effusion which includes metabolic, malignant, medication-induced, traumatic, rheumatologic, and infectious etiologies.

364. Case Report: A Drug’s Adverse Effect Unleashes the Wolf – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center














Welcome back to the CardioNerds Cardiovascular Prevention Series, where we are continuing our discussion of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs). This class of medications is becoming a household name, not only for their implications for weight loss but also for their effect on cardiovascular disease. CardioNerds Dr. Ty Sweeney (CardioNerds Academy Faculty Member and incoming Cardiology Fellow at Boston Medical Center), Dr. Rick Ferraro (CardioNerds Academy House Faculty and Cardiology Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital), and special guest Dr. Franck Azobou (Cardiology Fellow at UT Southwestern) sat down with Dr. Darren McGuire (Cardiologist at UT Southwestern and Senior Editor of Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research) to discuss important trial data on GLP-1 RAs in patients with heart disease, as well as recent professional society guidelines on their use. Show notes were drafted by Dr. Ty Sweeney. Audio editing was performed by CardioNerds Intern student Dr. Diane Masket.



If you haven’t already, be sure to check out CardioNerds episode #350 where we discuss the basics and mechanism of action of GLP-1 RAs with Dr. Dennis Bruemmer.







This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) with independent medical education grant support from Novo Nordisk. See below for continuing medical education credit.



Claim CME for this episode HERE. 











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Pearls and Quotes - GLP-1 Agonists: Diving into the Data




* Patients with diabetes and clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or who are at high risk of ASCVD benefit from treatment with a GLP-1 RA.



* For persons with sufficient ASCVD risk and type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors can, and often should, be used in combination. "Just like we don’t consider ‘and/or’ for the four pillars of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, we shouldn’t parcel out these two therapeutic options...it should be both.”



* Setting expectations with your patients regarding injection practices, side effects, and expected benefits can go a long way toward improving the ...

331. Case Report: New Onset Murmur In A Pregnant Woman With A Mechanical Heart Valve – Oregon Health & Science University

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