The Heart of Prevention

Influenza is often thought of primarily as a respiratory illness—but its impact may extend well beyond the lungs. Growing evidence suggests that influenza infection can trigger cardiovascular events, while vaccination may represent an underrecognized tool in cardiovascular prevention.

In this episode of The Heart of Prevention, host Dr. Keerthana Pakanati is joined by Dr. Alison Bailey to explore the evolving connection between influenza and cardiovascular disease. They discuss how influenza vaccination emerged as a potential cardiovascular prevention strategy, what we are learning from the cardiovascular analysis of FLUNITY-HD—including findings related to heart failure hospitalization—and where vaccination may fit within the broader preventive cardiology toolkit.

The conversation also tackles the practical questions: Should we think about vaccines alongside statins, antihypertensives, and other preventive therapies? How should clinicians approach high-dose versus standard-dose vaccination in older adults? And what evidence do we still need to better define the role of influenza vaccination in cardiovascular prevention?

Tune in for a timely conversation about infection, inflammation, vaccination, and why protecting against the flu may also mean thinking about the heart.

Sanofi provided financial sponsorship for the production of this podcast and had no influence or involvement in the review, approval, or development of any content.

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In this special 2026 ASPC wrap-up episode of The Heart of Prevention, four emerging leaders in cardiovascular medicine who served as social media ambassadors for the Congress share their key takeaways from the meeting and discuss the latest advances shaping preventive cardiology.

The conversation features Dr. Leonie Dupuis, a PGY-4 Cardiovascular Diseases Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Dr. Ido Avivi, a preventive cardiologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, San Diego; Dr. Yulith Roca, a PGY-5 Cardiovascular Disease Fellow at Loma Linda University Health; and Dr. Binay Panjiyar, MD, GCSRT, a PGY-2 Internal Medicine Resident at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Permian Basin.

Together, they highlight the research, clinical insights, and emerging themes that stood out at ASPC 2026—and explore how these developments may influence the future of cardiovascular prevention and patient care.

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In this special 2026 ASPC wrap-up episode of The Heart of Prevention, four emerging leaders in cardiovascular medicine who served as social media ambassadors for the Congress share their key takeaways from the meeting and discuss the latest advances shaping preventive cardiology.

The conversation features Dr. Leonie Dupuis, a PGY-4 Cardiovascular Diseases Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Dr. Ido Avivi, a preventive cardiologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, San Diego; Dr. Yulith Roca, a PGY-5 Cardiovascular Disease Fellow at Loma Linda University Health; and Dr. Binay Panjiyar, MD, GCSRT, a PGY-2 Internal Medicine Resident at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Permian Basin.

Together, they highlight the research, clinical insights, and emerging themes that stood out at ASPC 2026—and explore how these developments may influence the future of cardiovascular prevention and patient care.

Stay tuned next week for Part Two!

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South Asians face one of the highest burdens of premature cardiovascular disease worldwide, yet many remain underrecognized by traditional risk assessment tools. In this episode of The Heart of Prevention, host Dr. Keerthana Pakanati is joined by Dr. Anurag Mehta (Emory University) and Dr. Mazhar Afaq (University of Kansas Health System), Co-Chairs of the South Asian Prevention Network at the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (SAPNA), for an insightful discussion on improving cardiovascular prevention in this high-risk population.

Together, they explore the unique "South Asian phenotype," why conventional risk calculators may underestimate risk, and how clinicians can better identify cardiometabolic disease through family history, metabolic risk factors, and culturally informed care. The conversation also highlights the challenges of dietary counseling, the impact of cultural beliefs on healthcare engagement, successful community-based prevention initiatives, and the critical research gaps that remain.

Whether you're a clinician caring for South Asian patients or simply interested in advancing equitable cardiovascular prevention, this episode provides practical, evidence-based strategies to improve early detection, risk assessment, and long-term heart health. Tune in to learn how personalized, culturally informed prevention can help close disparities and improve cardiovascular outcomes for South Asian communities.

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In this episode of The Heart of Prevention, Dr. Keerthana Pakanati is joined by Dr. Neha Pagidipati (Duke University) and Misha Nazrollahzadeh (Joyce Health) to explore what it takes to translate cardiovascular prevention from guidelines into real-world practice.

The conversation focuses on building effective prevention clinics, including essential team structures, scalable care models, and the role of interdisciplinary members such as dietitians, pharmacists, APPs, and health coaches. Guests also discuss what tools are truly moving the needle in 2026—from AI and remote monitoring to nutrition platforms—and where enthusiasm may be outpacing evidence.

Additional topics include common reasons prevention programs fail, how to demonstrate value to health systems, and the evolving role of nutrition care in the GLP-1 era. The episode closes with rapid-fire insights on indispensable team members and high-impact patient tools, along with reflections on the future of scalable prevention.

A practical, implementation-focused discussion for clinicians and leaders aiming to build prevention programs that actually work.

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Join host Dr. Keerthana Pakanati for an in-depth discussion with two leaders in preventive cardiology, Dr. Roger Blumenthal and Dr. Ty Gluckman, as they break down the highly anticipated 2026 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Dyslipidemia Guidelines.

In this episode, the panel explores the biggest updates shaping lipid management today, including LDL-C targets, the PREVENT risk score, coronary artery calcium (CAC), Lp(a), apoB, and the evolving role of personalized risk assessment. The conversation also dives into practical strategies for applying the guidelines in real-world clinical practice, navigating treatment barriers, and improving long-term cardiovascular prevention.

Listeners will gain expert insight into:

• Key changes in the 2026 dyslipidemia guidelines

• Treat-to-target vs. threshold-based therapy

• Risk stratification using PREVENT, CAC, Lp(a), and apoB

• Lipid management in women and younger patients

• Cost, access, adherence, and emerging therapies

• The future of preventive cardiology and systems-based care

A must-listen episode for clinicians, trainees, and anyone passionate about advancing cardiovascular prevention.

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In this episode of The Heart of Prevention, we zero in on the late-breaking clinical trials from ACC 2026 that are poised to shape the future of cardiovascular prevention.

Featuring trainees who attended the conference, we unpack the most practice-changing data across lipid management, cardiometabolic therapies, and risk reduction strategies. Our discussion highlights not just the results, but the clinical context—what these trials mean for patient care, where they challenge existing paradigms, and how they may influence guidelines moving forward.

From nuanced shifts in treatment thresholds to emerging therapies and implementation challenges, our trainee panel brings fresh, thoughtful perspectives from the frontlines of ACC. We also reflect on key themes across the late breakers, including personalization of prevention, residual risk, and advancing equity in cardiovascular care.

Whether you’re looking for a high-yield summary or deeper clinical insight, this episode delivers a focused, trainee-driven breakdown of the trials everyone is talking about.

Tune in for sharp analysis, practical takeaways, and what to watch next in prevention science.

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Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for refining cardiovascular risk assessment in asymptomatic individuals. A CAC score of zero is associated with extremely low event rates even among those with multiple risk factors, while elevated scores identify individuals who benefit most from preventive therapies. Yet despite robust evidence and guideline endorsement, CAC scoring remains underutilized in clinical practice. In this episode of "The Heart of Prevention," Dr. Michael Blaha and Dr. Khurram Nasir explore how CAC scoring transforms primary prevention from a population-based approach to truly personalized medicine. They discuss the "power of zero"—how the absence of coronary calcium can safely defer or avoid certain preventive therapies—and how elevated scores guide intensification of treatment, from statins to aspirin and beyond.

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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet the menopause transition—a critical period when cardiovascular risk accelerates—remains an underrecognized opportunity for prevention. The menopause transition is associated with central fat accumulation, insulin resistance, atherogenic lipid changes, and increased blood pressure—all of which contribute to accelerated atherosclerosis. Women with premature menopause face particularly heightened cardiovascular risk.  Dr. Lily Dastmalchi and Dr. Emily Lau discuss how clinicians can identify at-risk women through comprehensive cardiovascular risk stratification, including assessment of traditional risk factors and female-specific risk enhancers such as premature menopause and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

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Heart failure affects nearly 7 million Americans, with projections reaching 11 million by 2050. Yet prevention remains our most powerful—and underutilized—strategy. In this special Heart Month episode, Dr. Martha Gulati and Dr. Anuradha Lala-Trindade explore the paradigm shift toward risk-based heart failure prevention. Drawing on their expertise as co-authors of the joint scientific statement from the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, they set the stage with this introductory episode to help clinicians understand the relationship between prevention and heart failure as well as providing real life tips. You don’t want to miss this!

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