Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is most commonly linked to left heart disease (LHD). The 7th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension PH-LHD task force reviewed newly reported randomized clinical trial results and explored novel strategies to enhance patient outcomes. Their findings uncovered key data essential for improving clinical care. 

In this interview, Drs. William Boden and Bradley Maron discuss the latest advancements in managing pulmonary hypertension caused by left heart disease. 

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Three complementary constructs  ̶  cardiovascular health, cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment  ̶  exist to aid physicians in understanding where a patient is in the journey from health to disease and assist with clinical decision-making for preventive interventions across the life course.   

In this interview, Drs. Clyde Yancy and Donald Lloyd-Jones review the origins, objectives, and application of these cardiovascular constructs in practice.  

  SUGGESTED MATERIALS:   

1. Lloyd-Jones DM, Allen NB, Anderson CAM, et al; on behalf of the American Heart Association. Life’s Essential 8: updating and enhancing the American Heart Association’s construct of cardiovascular health: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2022;146:e18-e43.  

2. Ndumele CE, Rangaswami J, Chow SL, et al; on behalf of the American Heart Association. Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2023;148:1606-35.  

3. Khan SS, Matsushita K, Sang Y, et al; for the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium and the American Heart Association Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Science Advisory Group. Development and validation of the American Heart Association’s PREVENT equations. Circulation 2023;149:430-49.  

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The use of artificial intelligence (AI) assistance in echocardiography is proving beneficial in a multitude of ways: significantly reducing time per examination, increasing the average number of examinations per day, improving image quality, and decreasing mental fatigue in sonographers. Through AI-based echocardiography patients receive faster, high-quality diagnostics, which benefit both patient care and clinician workflow.  

  In this interview, Drs. Jeroen Bax and Nobuyuki Kagiyama examine the results of the AI-ECHO randomized crossover trial.  

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In this episode, Drs. Joseph Marine and Rajeev Pathak dive into the ARREST-AF trial and its implications for ablation outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients. Listen as they explore the key findings of the trial, including the best approaches to risk factor management for AFib, and why catheter ablation remains a critical treatment option. Learn about the patient population in the ARREST-AF trial, along with the primary and secondary outcomes.  

 Drs. Marine and Pathak break down the key clinical takeaways and valuable insights on optimizing AFib management and improving outcomes through evidence-based strategies. 

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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is generally an inherited global heart disease in which only a fraction of those with the condition are clinically diagnosed. The recently published HCM guidelines include major changes focusing on medical therapy, increased emphasis exercise testing, management of sudden death risk, and screening for atrial fibrillation. 

In this interview, Drs. Matthew Martinez and Himabindu Vidula reinforce the importance of these updates for general cardiologists, which aid in identifying HCM patients early and establishing appropriate management plans.  

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Advanced lipid testing holds significant potential in cardiovascular care by enhancing risk prediction beyond standard lipid panels. For patients, this means more tailored treatment and better outcomes by addressing residual risk not captured by traditional LDL-C assessments​.  

 In this interview, Drs. Laxmi Mehta and Michael Shapiro discuss the role and importance of advanced lipid testing.  

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he SUMMIT trial compared the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity. Results from the trial concluded that treatment of obesity reduces major heart failure events in addition to improving health status and exercise tolerance. 

In this interview, Drs. Alison Bailey and Milton Packer examine the power of tirzepatide expanding beyond weight loss and treating diabetes in addition to reducing heart failure events in patients with obesity-related HFpEF. 

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Nearly one-half of US counties have no practicing cardiologists. These counties with limited access to cardiovascular care tend to be more rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged, with a greater burden of cardiovascular disease, highlighting deep geographic disparity in access to cardiovascular care in the US. 

In this interview, Drs. Bailey and Kim discuss “Geographic Disparities in Access to Cardiologists in the United States.” 

 Related References: 

1. Cross SH, Mehra MR, Bhatt DL, et al. Rural-urban differences in cardiovascular mortality in the US, 1999-2017. JAMA 2020;323:1852–54.  

1. Loccoh EC, Nguyen A, Kim G, Warraich HJ. Geospatial analysis of access to health care and internet services in the US. JAMA Netw Open 2022;5:e2243792. 

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In this interview, Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD, MBA, FACC, and Alison L. Bailey, MD FACC, discuss the Top Electrophysiology (EP) Takeaways from 2024. Dr. Lakkireddy discusses climate change, high school mandated education on cardiopulmonary resuscitation, important trials impacting atrial fibrillation including PROMPT-AF and ARREST-AF, and more.  

1. Sang C, Liu Q, Lai Y, et al. Pulmonary vein isolation with optimized linear ablation vs pulmonary vein isolation alone for persistent AF: the PROMPT-AF randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2024;Nov 18:[ePub ahead of print].  

1. Wood S. Lifestyle and Risk Factors Matter for AF Burden—Metformin May Not: TRIM-AF 

(tctMD website). 2024. Available at https://www.tctmd.com/news/lifestyle-and-risk-factors-matter-af-burden-metformin-may-not-trim-af. Accessed 12/17/24. 

1. Verma S, Butler J, Borlaug BA, et al.; on behalf of STEP-HFpEF and STEP-HFpEF DM Investigators. Atrial fibrillation and semaglutide effects in obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: STEP-HFpEF program. J Am Coll Cardiol 2024;84:1603-14. 

1. Sapp JL, Tang AS, Parkash R, et al., for the VANISH2 Study Team. Catheter ablation or antiarrhythmic drugs for ventricular tachycardia. N Engl J Med 2024;Nov 16:[ePub ahead of print]. 

1. Katapadi A, Bawa D, Garg J, et al. Are high school cardiopulmonary resuscitation education mandates working? Insights from a high school survey on CPR knowledge, attitudes, and readiness. Heart Rhythm 2024;Sep 28:[ePub ahead of print]. 

1. Yang CH, Ng CJ, Huang HL, et al. Intraosseous and intravenous epinephrine administration routes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: survival and neurologic outcomes. J Am Heart Assoc 2024;13:e036739.  

1. Prioritizing Health | Weathering Change: The Importance of Talking to Patients About Environmental Risks to Heart Health (Cardiology Magazine). 2024. Available at https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2024/04/01/00/42/Prioritizing-Health-Weathering-Change-The-Importance-of-Talking-to-Patients-About-Environmental-Risks-to-Heart-Health. Accessed 12/17/24. 

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In this interview, Andrew M. Kates, MD, FACC, and Alison L. Bailey, MD FACC, discuss the Top General CardiologyTakeaways from 2024. Dr. Kates discusses the 2024 Perioperative Guidelines, cardiac rehab, ACC’s proposal for a new Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, and more.  

1. Bhave NM, Cibotti-Sun M, Moore MM. 2024 perioperative cardiovascular management for noncardiac surgery guideline-at-a-glance. J Am Coll Cardiol 2024;84:1970-75. 

1. Pack OR, Keys T, Priya A, et al. Is 70% achievable? Hospital-level variation in rates of cardiac rehabilitation use among medicare beneficiaries. JACC Adv 2024;3:101275. 

1. FDA Update: Acoramidis Approved to Reduce CV Death, Hospitalization in Patients With ATTR-CM (ACC.org). 2024. Available at https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2024/11/26/15/02/fda-update-acoramidis-approved-to-reduce-cv-death-hospitalization-in-patients-with-attr-cm. Accessed 12/10/24. 

1. Gillmore JD, Judge DP, Cappelli F, et al., on behalf of the ATTRibute-CM Investigators. Efficacy and safety of acoramidis in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. N Engl J Med 2024;390:132-42.  

1. Board of Cardiovascular Medicine (ACC.org). 2024. https://cvboard.org/. Accessed 12/10/24. 

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