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Welcome back to MedscapeLIVE! Cardiology E-News. This issue we tap into Medscape Heart of Cardiology thought leaders, who candidly weigh in on what’s happened in cardiology in 2024 that provides a big step forward in patient care, and share some critical takeaways from their upcoming HOC presentations.

Make sure to also check out this issue’s Pulse, with articles from the Journal of the American Heart Association, Circulation, European Heart Journal, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Cardiology News, and New England Journal of Medicine.

CME 2024—Medscape has you covered!

Going Back to the Heart of Cardiology Medscape Conference (5th Annual)

Going Back to the Heart of Cardiology Pre-Conference Webinar: Women’s Heart in Focus

  • Earn 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits by attending this complimentary webinar
  • Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET
  • To register, click here!

Thank you to these doctors for sharing their time and expertise. Don’t forget to register for Medscape’s Going Back to the Heart of Cardiology. Please contact me at colleen@cmhadvisors.com with any comments and/or suggestions! –Colleen Hutchinson

Patient Care: What’s Happening in 2024? Our HOC Faculty Dish

What’s happened in cardiology in 2024 that’s a big step forward for patient care?

Dr. Pamela Morris: The incredible expansion of therapeutics for reduction in cardiovascular risk across all risk factors including novel lipid lowering agents, new options for management of difficult to control hypertension, anti-diabetic therapies, and anti-obesity medications.

Dr. Javed Butler: So most of the clinicians probably are not aware of it since it is not clinically relevant today, but the progress in Alphafold technology providing greater accuracy for protein–ligand interactions, protein–nucleic acid interactions, and antibody–antigen prediction accuracy holds promise to revolutionize development of new therapies in the future.

Dr. Marc Bonaca: We have seen such advances in the realm of heart failure, kidney and cardiometabolic diseases. The data for GLP1a therapies and broad benefits across populations have expanded our understanding of the interplay between obesity, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease, and opened up new therapeutic pathways. In addition, novel therapies such as finerenone have new evidence for treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We now have rapid development in areas where there were few therapeutic options.

Dr. Anne Curtis: The increasing use of pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation is an advance that makes the procedures shorter with comparable efficacy and some advantages regarding safety.

Dr. Geoffrey Barnes: One big step forward for patients with cardiovascular disease is the new 2024 ACC/AHA PAD guidelines. Importantly, they now provide a level 1 recommendation in favor of dual pathway inhibition (rivaroxaban 2.5mg twice daily plus aspirin) for many patients with PAD, including those undergoing revascularization.

Dr. Daniel Clark: Less NPO time pre-catheterization—Happy cardiac patients coming to a ward near you soon!

What is one pearl or takeaway from your upcoming presentation at the HOC?

Dr. Anne Curtis/Rhythm Control in Atrial Fibrillation: Optimizing Guideline-Directed Decisions: Rhythm control is viewed as increasingly important for patients with atrial fibrillation for optimal patient outcomes.

Dr. Morris/LDL-C Management: Treatment of dyslipidemia is no longer limited by available agents, but rather by clinical inertia and failure to implement evidence-based therapies.

Dr. Marc Bonaca/Exploring Chronic Coronary Artery Disease: Latest Guidelines and Implications and Key Updates About Peripheral Artery Disease: Patients with peripheral artery disease have atherosclerotic vascular disease, which is the dominant cause of coronary and cerebrovascular disease; however, their morbidities, risk profile, and response to therapies is different. The new PAD guidelines highlight the stages of disease, the role of comorbidities, the role of novel therapies for risk reduction, and importantly, the critical foundation of health equity.

Dr. Geoffrey Barnes/Evolving Anticoagulation Strategies and Advancing Venous Thromboembolism Management: Tips for the General Practitioner: When you plan to treat a patient with acute DVT or PE, it is important to explore for potentially reversible risk factors that can influence the duration of anticoagulation therapy. But in general, we are using long-term/indefinite anticoagulation for most patients to help prevent VTE recurrence.

Dr. Clark/Adult Congenital Heart Disease: What the Generalist Needs to Know: Wearables, devices, transcatheter procedures, digital health, and AIYes, there’s a role in the ACHD population…but we must be aware of unique nuances of using our therapies, interventions, and technology in this population.

Dr. Butler/The Role of Intravenous Iron in Heart Failure and Implications and Advances in Chronic Heart Failure Therapies: From Drugs to Devices: It is in the nature of science that it is always evolving based on new information. We now have a lot of data suggesting which patients enrolled with iron deficiency benefitted the most in clinical trials and how that information informs clinical practice. I look forward to discussing these aspects.

The Pulse

Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions: Metrics to Assess Quality Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Complications: Is “Failure to Rescue” an Answer?

JAMA Cardiology Original Investigation: Multifaceted Intensive Blood Pressure Control Model in Older and Younger Individuals With Hypertension: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Cardiology News: Cell Phone Use Linked to Higher Heart Disease Risk

JACC Original Research: Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity: Metabolic Surgery vs Usual Care

NEJM Original Article: Invasive Treatment Strategy for Older Patients with Myocardial Infarction

Medical Intelligence Quiz: Atrial Fibrillation

Don’t miss these upcoming events!

Going Back to the Heart of Cardiology

January 24 - 26, 2025 | Fontainebleau Miami Beach | Miami Beach, FL
Join co-chairs Dr. Robert Harrington and Dr. Fatima Rodriguez at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The agenda will explore the latest advancements in cardiology including cardiovascular prevention, atherosclerosis and thrombosis, cardiovascular dysfunction, arrhythmias, and more. Network, attend engaging presentations by renowned cardiologists, visit the exhibit and poster hall, participate in an exclusive immersive experience, and earn up to 13 CME/CE credits. Register today with code CARDIONEWS for 30% OFF your registration. Register Now.

Going Back to the Heart of Cardiology Pre-Conference Webinar: Women’s Heart in Focus

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 8:45 PM ET

Join us for Women’s Heart in Focus focusing on how to identify women at risk of cardiovascular disease across the life course, including a discussion on evidence-based management and treatment strategies to optimize outcomes in women at risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. You don’t want to miss this complementary virtual event before the conference in Miami in January!