Heart Matters

Host: Matthew Sorrentino, MD

Guest: Jennifer N. Avari Silva, MD

Understanding how and why arteries age has baffled doctors for years, but a recent study may have the answers we’ve been looking for. Dr. Vienna Brunt, a post-doctorate fellow in the Department of Integrated Physiology of Aging Lab at the University of Colorado in Boulder, walks us through her study published in the journal Hypertension exploring how a compound produced in the gut called “trimethylamine N-oxide” can harm the endothelial lining of our arteries and increase the risk of heart disease with aging.

Host: Alan S. Brown, MD, FACC, FAHA, FNLA

Guest: Jennifer N. Avari Silva, MD

While we know that the lungs are deeply affected by COVID-19, they’re far from the only organ to be ravaged by this disease. Dr. Richard Vander Heide, Professor and Director of Pathology Research at LSU Health, New Orleans School of Medicine, joins Dr. Alan Brown to discuss how he led a team of pathologists that performed autopsies on COVID-19 patients to discover the resulting cardiac changes.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO

Guest: Alok A. Khorana, M.D.

Join Prof. Alok Khorana as he is interviewed on the the place for direct oral anticoagulants in the individualization of VTE treatment and prevention of recurrence. This session will highlight the unique experience and therapeutic knowledge of Prof. Khorana, broadening listeners’ perspectives and enlightening new methods of treating, diagnosing and thinking about current medical issues related to VTE facing clinicians. Since the recording of this program, the 'Antithrombotic Therapy for VTE Disease: CHEST Guideline' (Kearon C, et al. CHEST 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2015.11.026) has been published online. Recommendations from the new guidelines have been incorporated into the visual presentation but are not reflected in the audio portion, and include the following: For VTE and no cancer, as long-term anticoagulant therapy, we suggest dabigatran (Grade 2B), rivaroxaban (Grade 2B), apixaban (Grade 2B) or edoxaban (Grade 2B) over VKA therapy, and suggest VKA therapy over LMWH (Grade 2C) For VTE and cancer, we suggest LMWH over VKA (Grade 2B), dabigatran (Grade 2C), rivaroxaban (Grade 2C), apixaban (Grade 2C) or edoxaban (Grade 2C)

Host: Janet Wright, MD

Guest: Peter Nagele, MD

Time is of the essence after cardiac arrest; action must be taken within five minutes. Survival rates for patients who arrest outside the hospital are disappointing. How do we help patients who arrest in public or (statistically more likely) in the home, where there is no access to medical equipment and medication? Host Dr. Janet Wright talks with Dr. Peter Nagele, chief of the section of trauma anesthesiology in the department of anesthesiology at Washington University in St. Louis, about revised CPR methods without mouth-to-mouth, and what recent research tells us about the potential for these methods to improve outcomes. And what are plans for training the general public?

Host: Janet Wright, MD

Guest: Gary Mintz, MD

Acute coronary syndromes in patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention is the subject of the conversation between guest Dr. Gary Mintz, chief medical officer of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, an independent, academically focused nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for people with cardiovascular disease through research and education, and host Dr. Janet Wright. How often do patients who have an acute coronary syndrome have a recurrent event? Their discussion includes protocols, paramaters and outcomes of the PROSPECT trial. The use of ultrasound as well as angiography are also discussed in context to help identify unstable coronary plaques in order to prevent adverse coronary events.

Host: Janet Wright, MD

Guest: Jeffrey Anderson, MD

Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common because of a number of factors, not the least of which is a lack of exposure to sunlight. What role does vitamin D play in ensuring cardiovascular health, and should clinicians routinely test patients for such deficiency? Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, vice-chair of research in the department of medicine and associate chief of cardiology and director of cardiovascular research at Intermountain Medical Center, discusses current evidence about vitamin D and the heart, but says more prospective studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D plays an associated or causal role related to cardiovascular health. Is routine vitamin D supplementation useful for protecting cardiovascular health, or should clinicians wait for more evidence? Dr. Janet Wright hosts.

Produced in Cooperation with

Host: Janet Wright, MD

Guest: Dan Roden, MD

Long QT syndrome can be a silent threat. Although not all patients with congenital long QT syndrome develop symptoms, there is potential for dangerous arrhythmia that can cause sudden cardiac death. Can and should genetic testing guide clinicians in diagnosing and treating this condition? Dr. Dan Roden, professor of medicine and pharmacology and assistant vice-chancellor for personalized medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, says the concept of personalized medicine goes beyond genetics; it is also about meeting a patient's goals and individual needs. How can genetic testing help physicians decide which medical therapy might be most appropriate for each patient? Dr. Janet Wright hosts.

Host: Janet Wright, MD

Guest: Joseph Cleveland, MD

Cardiac surgery can improve quality of life, but it also poses risks for patients over the age of 65. Can a screening test as simple as walking speed predict the outcomes of cardiac surgery for our older patients? Dr. Janet Wright hosts this discussion.

Host: Janet Wright, MD

Guest: Jeffrey Anderson, MD

Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common because of a number of factors, not the least of which is a lack of exposure to sunlight. What role does vitamin D play in ensuring cardiovascular health, and should clinicians routinely test patients for such deficiency? Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, vice-chair of research in the department of medicine and associate chief of cardiology and director of cardiovascular research at Intermountain Medical Center, discusses current evidence about vitamin D and the heart, but says more prospective studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D plays an associated or causal role related to cardiovascular health. Is routine vitamin D supplementation useful for protecting cardiovascular health, or should clinicians wait for more evidence? Dr. Janet Wright hosts.

Produced in Cooperation with

Host: Janet Wright, MD

Guest: Dan Roden, MD

Long QT syndrome can be a silent threat. Although not all patients with congenital long QT syndrome develop symptoms, there is potential for dangerous arrhythmia that can cause sudden cardiac death. Can and should genetic testing guide clinicians in diagnosing and treating this condition? Dr. Dan Roden, professor of medicine and pharmacology and assistant vice-chancellor for personalized medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, says the concept of personalized medicine goes beyond genetics; it is also about meeting a patient's goals and individual needs. How can genetic testing help physicians decide which medical therapy might be most appropriate for each patient? Dr. Janet Wright hosts.