Heart Matters

Guest: Elise Shalowitz, MS New research is examining the relationship between gynecologic surgery and heart failure in women. Learn more about how surgery type and timing were associated with heart failure risk with Elise Shalowitz, a Principal Clinical Research Professional at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Ahmet Kilic, MD FACS When cardiothoracic surgery can’t wait, chronic anticoagulation can further complicate an already complex clinical picture. In this conversation with Dr. Brian McDonough, Dr. Ahmet Kilic explores the factors that can help inform anticoagulation reversal decisions in time-sensitive scenarios. Dr. Kilic is a Professor of Clinical Cardia...

Guest: Alex Reyentovich, MD Community providers and amyloidosis specialists each play a vital role in diagnosing and managing transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). Join Dr. Alex Reyentovich as he explains how this partnership can improve both patient care and diagnosis rates. Dr. Reyentovich is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Co-Direct...

Guest: M. Melih Dogan, MD What does current evidence tell us about subcutaneous lipoprotein(a)-lowering therapies? Find out as Dr. M. Melih Dogan shares findings from a recent meta-analysis examining their efficacy, safety, and effects on key lipid parameters, along with the limitations that remain as larger clinical trials continue. He's a Postdoctoral Researcher at East Carolina University Heart...

Guest: Bruno Batinica, MD Could multimodal AI help identify patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) who might otherwise go undiagnosed? Dr. Bruno Batinica, a Postdoctoral Associate at the Yale School of Medicine, joins us to share early findings from the TRACE-AI study, including AI-enabled model performance across diverse health systems, the potential value of combining modal...

Guest: Bruno Batinica, MD Earlier recognition of ATTR-CM remains a challenge, but emerging applications of AI could offer a new way to raise clinical suspicion. Dr. Bruno Batinica, a Postdoctoral Associate at the Yale School of Medicine, explores how AI models could identify patterns in ECG and echocardiography that may help flag patients for further evaluation.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Akshay Kumar, MD In cardiothoracic surgery, the need for anticoagulation reversal can arise quickly, and the path forward isn’t always clear. In this case-based discussion with Dr. Brian McDonough, Dr. Akshay Kumar shares his perspective on making anticoagulation reversal decisions across a range of urgent and complex surgical scenarios. Dr. Kumar is...

Guest: Noel Bairey Merz, MD Cardiovascular risk in women can emerge well before older age, but traditional approaches to risk assessment may overlook sex-specific factors in patients under 65. Dr. Noel Bairey Merz joins us to share how tools such as the PREVENT score and coronary artery calcium scoring, along with obstetric history and female-dominant conditions, can help us identify elevated risk...

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Andrew Freeman, MD, FACC, FACP In this episode of Heart Matters , Dr. Charles Turck is joined by Dr. Andrew Freeman to take a case-based look at severe hypertriglyceridemia and explore how the 2026 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Multisociety guideline on dyslipidemia management can help inform clinical decision-making. Toge...

Guest: Scott D. Isaacs, MD FACP, FACE For patients with diabetes, effective care requires more than just lowering A1C. Dr. Scott Isaacs joins us to discuss the importance of incorporating comorbidities into care and strategies for systematic screening and follow-up. He’s the Immediate Past President of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Emo...

Guest: Scott D. Isaacs, MD FACP, FACE Dyslipidemia is a major driver of cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and lipid management is a key component of the 2026 AACE diabetes algorithm. Join Dr. Scott Isaacs as he reviews new recommendations on LDL-C goals and individualized care in this population. Dr. Isaacs is the Immediate Past President of the American Association of Cl...

Host: Steve Jackson, PharmD Guest: Sunil Rao, MD The 2025 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Management of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) reflects more than a decade of new evidence, but what will actually change at the bedside? Tune in to find out as Dr. Sunil Rao, Chair of the Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines, discusses the re...

Host: Mary Leuchars, MD Guest: Mark Creager, MD The 2026 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Adults introduces a new clinical categorization framework to help evaluate risk and determine the appropriate care setting and treatment for patients with acute pulmonary embolism. Review key updates as Dr. Mar...

Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC The future of ATTR-CM care may extend beyond slowing disease progression to detecting it sooner—and potentially reversing its effects. Dr. Sumeet Mitter, Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Infiltrative and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Center at Inova Health in Virginia, explores emerging innovations that could open the door to earlier inter...

Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC As advances in RNA silencers, gene-editing technologies, and immunotherapy reshape the ATTR-CM landscape, it's important to stay informed and build confidence navigating this increasingly complex field. Dr. Sumeet Mitter, Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Infiltrative and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Center at Inova Health in Virginia, sha...

Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC Because transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a systemic disease, effective ATTR-CM management requires expertise beyond cardiology. Dr. Sumeet Mitter joins us to discuss the roles of neurology, hematology-oncology, genetic counseling, and nephrology in caring for these patients. He's the Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Inf...

Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC Even with advances in noninvasive imaging, diagnosing ATTR-CM isn’t always straightforward. That's why Dr. Sumeet Mitter joins us to discuss how we can address key challenges in diagnosis and navigate the path to treatment. He's the Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Infiltrative and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Center at Inova Health in Vi...

Guest: Roger Blumenthal, MD As the drivers of cardiovascular disease have shifted over time, so have the tools used to estimate risk. Dr. Roger Blumenthal explains why the PREVENT-ASCVD equations represent an important advance over traditional models and what that means for more accurate, individualized preventive care. Dr. Blumenthal is the Kenneth Jay Pollin Professor of Cardiology and Director...

Guest: Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD The CORALreef Lipids trial helped establish the clinical evidence supporting the FDA approval of enlicitide for LDL-C management. Join Dr. Ann Marie Navar, Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, for a discussion of the trial's efficacy, safety, and durability. She also explores key considerations for integrating thi...

Guest: Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD How does PCSK9 inhibition lower LDL cholesterol? Find out as Dr. Ann Marie Navar, Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, explains the biology behind this therapeutic approach.

Guest: Roger Blumenthal, MD What do the 2026 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) dyslipidemia guideline updates mean for patient care? Join Dr. Roger Blumenthal, Chair of the Guideline Writing Committee, as he reviews key recommendations that can help us personalize cardiovascular risk reduction and improve long-term prevention. Dr. Blumenthal is the Kenneth J...

Guest: Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD With LDL cholesterol goals reinstated in the 2026 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia, we now have a clearer framework for intensifying lipid-lowering therapy. Dr. Ann Marie Navar explains how to select nonstatin therapies based on the degree of LDL lowering needed, patient preferences, and the tr...

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Erin D. Michos, MD, MHS Severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) affects more than 3 million people, but it often flies under the clinical radar. 1-3 When triglycerides are at or above a 500 mg/dL threshold, it’s no longer just an isolated lab value—it’s a level of hypertriglyceridemia where the clinical implications change, and where a more careful evalua...

Guest: Roger Blumenthal, MD The 2026 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia highlights the CPR framework—Calculate, Personalize, Reclassify, and Reassess—to support individualized atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk assessment and treatment decisions. Dr. Roger Blumenthal, Chair of the Guideline Writing...

Guest: Frederick Ruberg, MD What will the future of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) care look like? Dr. Frederick Ruberg joins us to share his perspective on the advances that may shape the next phase of patient care, from screening and therapeutic strategies to expanded genetic testing aimed at identifying patients earlier. He's the Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at Boston Medica...