Cardiac Consult: A Cleveland Clinic Podcast for Healthcare Professionals

Ashish Sarraju, MD, and Leslie Cho, MD, discuss key updates in the 2026 ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines, including earlier LDL screening and integration of the PREVENT risk calculator. They explore clinical implications of Lp(a) testing, risk stratification and expanding therapeutic options to help patients achieve evidence-based lipid goals. Read more about the guidelines: https://consultqd.clevel...

Michael Zhen-Yu Tong, MD, and Sanjeeb Bhattacharya, MD, discuss the clinical management of heart transplant patients during the first year, including immunosuppression strategies, rejection surveillance and complication recognition. They also highlight evolving technologies, donor expansion and collaborative care approaches that are improving outcomes in advanced heart failure and transplantation....

Oussama Wazni, MD, MBA, and Mohamed Kanj, MD, discuss the clinical rationale and outcomes behind combining atrial fibrillation ablation with left atrial appendage closure, including insights from the OPTION trial. They examine patient selection, procedural considerations and the impact of pulsed field ablation on safety, efficiency and long-term stroke prevention strategies. Looking to refer a pat...

Grant Reed, MD, and Laura Young, MD, discuss contemporary decision making in percutaneous coronary intervention, including patient selection, ischemia assessment and the role of medical therapy. They explore advances in imaging, plaque modification and hybrid revascularization strategies for complex coronary artery disease. Looking to refer a patient? Please reach out to our Physician Referral tea...

Gayan De Silva, MD, and Kathleen Boyle, DO, discuss clinical evaluation and treatment of patients with spider veins, including differentiation from underlying venous and arterial disease and appropriate patient selection. Learn about technique considerations for foam and liquid sclerotherapy, expected outcomes, and long-term management. Looking to refer a patient? Please reach out to our Physician...

Samir Kapadia, MD, and Ohad Oren, MD, examine clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and its role as a causal driver of cardiovascular disease. They discuss mutation-specific risk, implications for prevention and how CHIP informs cardiovascular genomics and precision medicine. Looking to refer a patient? Please reach out to our Physician Referral team Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (...

Walid Saliba, MD, and Oussama Wazni, MD, discuss the design and outcomes of the AVANT GUARD study evaluating first-line pulsed field ablation in drug-naive patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. The conversation explores efficacy endpoints, safety findings, and the implications for early rhythm control and disease progression. Read more about the study. https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org...

Milind Desai, MD, and Nicholas Smedira, MD, review contemporary diagnostic pathways and surgical decision making for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The discussion examines advanced imaging, outcomes from high volume centers, emerging surgical techniques and the evolving role of myosin inhibitors in obstructive and non-obstructive disease. Looking to refer a patient? Please reach out to our Physician...

Lee Kirksey, MD, and J. Eduardo Corso, MD, examine the clinical impact of smoking on peripheral artery disease, aneurysmal disease and outcomes after vascular intervention, with emphasis on risk modification and evidence-based decision-making. The discussion highlights practical strategies for integrating smoking cessation conversations into patient visits, screening considerations and how nicotin...

This episode examines the clinical utility of cardiopulmonary exercise testing with emphasis on cardiac output, ventilatory efficiency, and metabolic responses to exercise. Cleveland Clinic experts discuss how CPET informs diagnosis, risk stratification and longitudinal management in pulmonary hypertension, complex cardiovascular disease and athletic populations. Meet the presenters:  J. Emanuel F...

Thomas Callahan, MD, and Shinya Unai, MD, discuss the role of  cardiac surgical backup during transvenous lead extraction. The conversation examines risk stratification, preoperative planning and rescue strategies for vascular and cardiac injury.  Looking to refer a patient? Please reach out to our Physician Referral team Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (ET) at 855.751.2469. Learn more at leadconnect...

Allan Klein, MD, and Deborah Kwon, MD, discuss contemporary guidance on pericarditis with emphasis on evolving diagnostic criteria, inflammatory syndromes and the role of multimodality imaging. The conversation explores risk stratification, medical treatment options and surgical decision-making in complex and recurrent disease. Looking to refer a patient? Please reach out to our Physician Referral...

Pasquale Santangeli, MD, PhD, and Arwa Younis, MD, discuss the clinical application of pulsed field ablation (PFA) for atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias. The conversation examines safety and efficacy benefits of PFA and the ongoing role of radiofrequency ablation in advanced electrophysiology practice. Attending the Heart Rhythm Society conference? Visit Cleveland Clinic physicians a...

Luke Laffin, MD, and Steven Nissen, MD, discuss findings from SURPASS-CVOT, including a secondary analysis evaluating broader cardiovascular and renal outcomes with dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist therapy compared with a first-generation GLP-1 agent. The conversation examines outcomes of the therapy on all-cause mortality and the clinical implications for treating patients with diabetes and high cardio...

Steven Nissen, MD, and Luke Laffin, MD, discuss late-breaking data from the Phase II KARDINAL Trial evaluating Tonlamarsen, a once-monthly therapeutic for uncontrolled multidrug therapy. They review study design, blood pressure outcomes and the potential clinical role of long-acting injectable therapies to address adherence gaps in real-world hypertension management. View current clinical trials....

Sean Lyden, MD, and Jon Quatromoni, MD, discuss the evolving landscape of vascular clinical trials, highlighting investigational therapies and device-driven innovations. Learn how these trials are shaping evidence-based decision-making, expanding minimally invasive options and influencing future standards of care for aortic, carotid, peripheral arterial and venous disease. View current clinical tr...

Lars Svensson, MD, PhD, and Milind Desai, MD, MBA, discuss contemporary evaluation and management of aortic valve regurgitation, emphasizing advanced imaging and optimal timing of intervention. They examine valve repair versus replacement, durability outcomes and lifetime management considerations at a high-volume valve center. Looking to refer a patient? Please reach out to our Physician Referral...

Women’s cardiologist Tamanna Singh, MD, and sports medicine physician Marie Schaefer, MD, introduce the WISER (Women's Integrated Sports, Exercise and Research), a multidisciplinary program addressing the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and psychosocial needs of women athletes across the lifespan. They outline how its cross‑institute model integrates cardiology, orthopedics, nutrition, psych...

Eric Roselli, MD, and Patrick Vargo, MD, discuss the contemporary management of aortic coarctation in adults, including late complications, reintervention strategies, and evolving endovascular and hybrid approaches informed by decades of institutional experience. View the research: Late Complications of Aortic Coarctation Repair Can Be Safely Treated    https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/late-c...

Maria Mountis, DO, and Karlee Hoffman, DO, explore the complexities of pregnancy and parenthood in heart transplant recipients or those living with heart failure, highlighting multidisciplinary cardio‑obstetrics care. These heart failure experts explore the nuanced decision‑making required to balance maternal health, fetal safety and long‑term transplant outcomes, emphasizing the importance of pre...

The new Haslam-Bailey Family Section of Cardiovascular Genomics and Precision Medicine is integrating genomic data into cardiovascular risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Samir Kapadia, MD, and Krishna Aragam, MD, discuss practical applications of genetic testing and emerging gene‑targeted therapies to enable more proactive and precise patient care. Looking to refer a patient? Please reach o...

Oussama Wazni, MD, MBA, and Jeffery Courson, DO, examine the evaluation and management of inherited arrhythmias and genetic cardiomyopathies. They discuss diagnostic strategies like genetic testing and advanced imaging, and the role of multidisciplinary care in precision medicine. The conversation also highlights evolving therapies, including individualized pharmacologic approaches and emerging ge...

Venugopal Menon, MD, and Abdulla Damluji, MD, discuss the emerging subspecialty of cardiovascular aging and the growing need to tailor cardiovascular care for older adults.  They explore how integrating geriatric expertise into cardiovascular practice can improve diagnostic accuracy, individualize therapy and optimize outcomes for this rapidly expanding patient population. Read more about the Card...

Amar Krishnaswamy, MD, and Marijan Koprivanac, MD, discuss contemporary follow‑up strategies after TAVR and SAVR, highlighting advances in minimally invasive and robotic surgical approaches that significantly reduce recovery time and postoperative pain. They outline evidence‑based recommendations for cardiac rehabilitation and structured imaging surveillance, emphasizing the critical role of timel...

Explore the latest ACC/AHA guidelines on acute coronary syndromes with co-authors Venugopal Menon, MD, and Jacqueline Tamis-Holland, MD, joined by Donna Kimmaliardjuk, MD. This discussion covers key updates, including unified STEMI/non-STEMI recommendations, heart team decision-making for multivessel disease, evolving strategies for dual antiplatelet therapy, and the role of mechanical circulatory...