Drafting messages, summarizing charts, managing appointments, and assessing eligibility are all tasks that large language models can streamline. However, integrating them safely and effectively—whether in small practices or large healthcare institutions—poses unique challenges. In this interview, Drs. Dipti Itchhaporia and Marly van Assen explore key strategies and safeguards designed to reduce errors and enhance reliability in high-stakes environments like healthcare. Subscribe on Apple Podcast...
Mar 18, 2025•14 min
A personalized approach to lowering cholesterol is crucial in preventing heart attacks, as the optimal level, speed, and duration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) reduction can vary from person to person. Both physicians and patients must carefully assess and monitor these factors to achieve the best cardiovascular outcomes. In this interview, Drs. Douglas Weaver and Kausik Ray delve into the importance of individualized cholesterol management. They discuss the latest research, the benefits of a...
Mar 11, 2025•14 min
Notifying patients and their clinicians about incidental coronary calcium findings can encourage shared decision-making on preventive therapies and significantly boost statin use among high-risk individuals. Each year, tens of millions of chest computed tomography (CT) scans are performed, yet valuable data on coronary calcium often remain unused — an untapped opportunity to enhance cardiovascular prevention. In this interview, Drs. Glenn Hirsch and Alexander Sandhu discuss how screening previou...
Mar 04, 2025•10 min
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. Subscrib...
Feb 25, 2025•12 min
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...
Feb 18, 2025•15 min
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 r...
Feb 11, 2025•10 min
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 cl...
Feb 04, 2025•13 min
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 i...
Jan 28, 2025•13 min
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. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Subscribe on Google Play | Subscribe to ACCEL...
Jan 21, 2025•12 min
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 pat...
Jan 14, 2025•15 min
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: Cross SH, Mehra MR, Bhatt DL, et al. Rural-...
Jan 07, 2025•11 min
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. 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 ra...
Dec 19, 2024•18 min
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. 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. Pack OR, Keys T, Priya A, et al. Is 70% achievable? Hospital-level v...
Dec 17, 2024•20 min
In this interview, Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MACC, and Alison L. Bailey, MD FACC, discuss the Top Heart Failure Takeaways from 2024. Dr. Yancy discusses the FINEARTS-HF trial, the PREVENT calculator, the multisociety Heart Failure Guidelines, and more. Khan SS, Coresh J, Pencina MJ, et al. Novel prediction equations for absolute risk assessment of total cardiovascular disease incorporating cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2...
Dec 12, 2024•16 min
In this interview, Noel Bairey Merz, MD, FACC, and Alison L. Bailey, MD FACC, discuss the Top Preventive Cardiology Takeaways from 2024. Dr. Bairey Merz discusses the SELECT and SUMMIT trials, the impact of cardiac interventions on the carbon footprint , and more. Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, et al; on behalf of the SELECT Trial Investigators. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes. N Engl J Med 2023;389:2221-32. Packer M, Zile MR, Kramer CM, et al; on b...
Dec 10, 2024•18 min
In this interview, Deepak L Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA, FACC, and Alison L. Bailey, MD FACC, discuss the Top Interventional Takeaways from 2024. Dr. Bhatt discusses the CLEAR SYNERGY, DanGer Shock, EARLY TAVR trials and more. Jolly SS, d'Entremont MA, Lee SF, et al., for the CLEAR Investigators. Colchicine in Acute Myocardial Infarction. N Engl J Med 2024;Nov 17:[Epub ahead of print]. Møller JE, Engstrøm T, Jensen LO, et al., on behalf of the DanGer Shock Investigators. Microaxial Flow Pump or Standard...
Dec 03, 2024•16 min
In this interview, Thomas H. Marwick, MD, PhD, FACC, and Alison L. Bailey, MD FACC, discuss the Top Takeaways from 2024 in Cardiovascular (CV) Imaging. Dr. Marwick discusses the SCOT-HEART trial, patient-echo reports augmented by AI, tricuspid valve regurgitation, and more. Dahl JS, Julakanti R, Ali M, Scott CS, Padang R, Pellikka PA. Cardiac damage in early aortic stenosis: is the valve to blame? JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2024;17:1031-1040. Kolossvary M, Lin A, Kwiecinski J, et al. Coronary plaqu...
Nov 27, 2024•23 min
Disparities in health care disproportionally impact under-resourced and minority communities resulting in excess mortality and morbidity. Decreasing and eliminating these disparities will improve health statistics for all. The American College of Cardiology's (ACC) Health Equity Task Force is demonstrating its commitment to health equity through championing the improvement of patients' lived experiences, population health, and clinician well-being while reducing health care costs—the Quadruple A...
Nov 19, 2024•11 min
Medical therapy is critical in preventing the worst complications of peripheral artery disease (PAD), among them heart attack, stroke, bleeding risk, and leg disease, which could lead to acute limb ischemia and amputation. Blood thinning medications (antithrombotic therapy) have shown rapid evolution and broad benefits and novel approved strategies that improve outcomes are available. It is imperative that clinicians select appropriate patients for use and consider the complex situations for man...
Nov 12, 2024•11 min
Patients can benefit from better healthcare access and outcomes by services that are enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). The current state of technology is evolving to now allow diagnosis of advanced conditions from simple diagnostic testing, broadening the scope of early diagnosis and treatment. What are the safe cards for the deployment of AI in real-world clinical care? In this interview, Drs. DJ Lakkireddy and Rohan Khera discuss Transforming Cardiovascular Care With Artificial Intellig...
Nov 05, 2024•14 min
Patients can benefit from better healthcare access and outcomes by services that are enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). The current state of technology is evolving to now allow diagnosis of advanced conditions from simple diagnostic testing, broadening the scope of early diagnosis and treatment. What are the safe cards for the deployment of AI in real-world clinical care? In this interview, Drs. DJ Lakkireddy and Rohan Khera discuss Transforming Cardiovascular Care With Artificial Intellig...
Nov 05, 2024•14 min
Can algorithms improve the management of patients with myocardial injury? Is there a tool to aid diagnosing patients faster and more accurately leading to appropriate treatment sooner to optimize results? This study highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into health care to improve outcomes. In this interview, Drs. Allen Taylor and Derek Chew discuss the findings of the RAPIDxAI trial: re-engineering the clinical approach to su...
Oct 29, 2024•11 min
The BedMed and BedMed-Frail trials assisted in providing clarity as to the daily timing of prescribed blood pressure medication. The two trials, one conducted in a general primary-care population and the other among nursing-home residents, determined no difference in major cardiovascular events or safety between blood pressure (BP) medication distribution in the evening or morning. In this interview, Drs. Anthony DeMaria and Scott Garrison review the BedMed and BedMed-Frail trials findings which...
Oct 22, 2024•12 min
The BedMed and BedMed-Frail trials assisted in providing clarity as to the daily timing of prescribed blood pressure medication. The two trials, one conducted in a general primary-care population and the other among nursing-home residents, determined no difference in major cardiovascular events or safety between blood pressure (BP) medication distribution in the evening or morning. In this interview, Drs. Anthony DeMaria and Scott Garrison review the BedMed and BedMed-Frail trials findings which...
Oct 22, 2024•12 min
The goal of the TIGHT K trial was to evaluate if prescribing relaxed control of potassium levels and only giving supplements in the rare event that levels became pathologically low was equally as effective in preventing atrial fibrillation (AFib) after cardiac surgery as tightly controlling levels. In this interview, Drs. Steven Nissen and Benjamin O'Brien discuss the TIGHT K trial results which proved that practitioners can safely cease the widespread practice of maintaining high-normal potassi...
Oct 15, 2024•9 min
The goal of the SENIOR RITA trial was to evaluate routine invasive therapy compared with conservative therapy among older patients with non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Additionally, the trial assessed whether optimal medical therapy or coronary angiography and stents are beneficial in older adults with heart attacks. In this interview, Drs. Nanette Kass Wenger and Vijay Kunadian discuss the SENIOR RITA trial results and the importance of individualizing routine invasive therapy in indivi...
Oct 08, 2024•7 min
Fasting is a routine part of preparing for a heart procedure. Research found through the SCOFF trial suggests that for certain procedures, removing the need to fast is safer and more comfortable for patients. In this interview, Drs. Roxana Mehran and David Ferreira discuss new evidence from the SCOFF trial and the possibility of reconsidering fasting requirements in clinical guideline. References: Ferreira D, Hardy J, Meere W, et al. Safety and care of no fasting prior to catheterization laborat...
Oct 01, 2024•12 min
The RESHAPE-HF2 (Randomized Investigation of the MitraClip Device in Heart Failure [HF]: Second Trial in Patients With Clinically Significant Functional Mitral Regurgitation [MR]) trial assessed the safety and efficacy of mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) using MitraClip among symptomatic HF patients with secondary MR. The results of this trial indicate that M-TEER using the MitraClip on a background of maximally tolerated guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) was superior to...
Sep 24, 2024•13 min
The goal of the ABYSS (Assessment of Beta-Blocker Interruption 1 Year After an Uncomplicated Myocardial Infarction on Safety and Symptomatic Cardiac Events Requiring Hospitalization) trial was to evaluate beta-blocker interruption compared with beta-blocker continuation after an uncomplicated myocardial infarction (MI). Although the efficacy of beta blockers on decreasing mortality has diminished in the reperfusion era in patients without heart failure, this class of well tolerated drugs remain ...
Sep 17, 2024•12 min
It is imperative that clinicians understand the differences in each patient and how effective therapies must be individualized and often combined to treat patients with varying profiles. Efforts to unify heart failure across the ejection fraction and rebrand "heart failure" to "heart success" may be achieved by better understanding patients to prevent progression to stage C or D. In this episode, Dr. Jim Januzzi interviews guideline author Dr. Lynne Stevenson on the importance of understanding t...
Sep 10, 2024•11 min
