Heart Matters

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Ken Fujise, MD Targeted molecular therapy has been successful in cancer therapeutics. How might this approach be applied in cardiology to prevent the development of atherosclerosis? Dr. Ken Fujise, chief of cardiology at University of Texas Medical Branch, where he is also professor of medicine and biochemistry and molecular biology, talks about his preliminary resear...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Ken Fujise, MD Targeted molecular therapy has been successful in cancer therapeutics. How might this approach be applied in cardiology to prevent the development of atherosclerosis? Dr. Ken Fujise, chief of cardiology at University of Texas Medical Branch, where he is also professor of medicine and biochemistry and molecular biology, talks about his preliminary resear...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Prediman Shah, MD It is apparent to most physicians that patients at high risk for having a cardiovascular event should be screened, but what about those patients who fall into the intermediate risk category (classified using the Framingham risk score)? Dr. Prediman Shah, director of the division of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, suggests t...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Prediman Shah, MD It is apparent to most physicians that patients at high risk for having a cardiovascular event should be screened, but what about those patients who fall into the intermediate risk category (classified using the Framingham risk score)? Dr. Prediman Shah, director of the division of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, suggests t...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Francois de Brantes, MS, MBA As we all strive to improve quality of care, two crucial questions remain at the heart of the issue: How do we define, and identify, quality in practices, hospitals and other health care settings? Then, how can new methods of identifying quality in practices help improve the standardization of processes and care that patients receive? Join h...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Francois de Brantes, MS, MBA As we all strive to improve quality of care, two crucial questions remain at the heart of the issue: How do we define, and identify, quality in practices, hospitals and other health care settings? Then, how can new methods of identifying quality in practices help improve the standardization of processes and care that patients receive? Join h...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: James Wilentz, MD Before the January 2010 earthquake rattled Haiti, healthcare access for the country's citizens was unreliable, but after the disaster, everything changed. How has an influx of foreign physicians impacted Haiti's healthcare system, and what lessons can the US learn from the proposed public-private partnership solutions in Haiti? Dr. James Wilentz, assis...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: James Wilentz, MD Before the January 2010 earthquake rattled Haiti, healthcare access for the country's citizens was unreliable, but after the disaster, everything changed. How has an influx of foreign physicians impacted Haiti's healthcare system, and what lessons can the US learn from the proposed public-private partnership solutions in Haiti? Dr. James Wilentz, assis...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Stuart Connolly, MD, FRCPC Because atrial fibrillation increases the risk for stroke, especially among those with other underlying conditions, what anticoagulation therapies should be considered for these patients? Dr. Stuart Connolly, professor of medicine and director of the division of cardiology and the Salim Yusuf Chair in Cardiology at McMaster University in Ont...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Stuart Connolly, MD, FRCPC Because atrial fibrillation increases the risk for stroke, especially among those with other underlying conditions, what anticoagulation therapies should be considered for these patients? Dr. Stuart Connolly, professor of medicine and director of the division of cardiology and the Salim Yusuf Chair in Cardiology at McMaster University in Ont...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Christopher O'Donnell, MD, MPH We know that genes play a role in cardiovascular health, but new research has identified specific DNA regions that are associated with risk factors for coronary heart disease. It's estimated that 30-50% of cardiovascular health is influenced by family history or genetics, while the rest is influenced by other environmental factors,...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Christopher O'Donnell, MD, MPH We know that genes play a role in cardiovascular health, but new research has identified specific DNA regions that are associated with risk factors for coronary heart disease. It's estimated that 30-50% of cardiovascular health is influenced by family history or genetics, while the rest is influenced by other environmental factors,...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Mark Hlatky, MD Implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs, can be life saving for patients after myocardial infarction, but are also costly and may not be appropriate for all of the hundreds of thousands of patients who have had MI. Which subsets of patients might benefit most from ICDs, and might prophylactic use of ICDs early after MI reduce the risk of cardi...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Mark Hlatky, MD Implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs, can be life saving for patients after myocardial infarction, but are also costly and may not be appropriate for all of the hundreds of thousands of patients who have had MI. Which subsets of patients might benefit most from ICDs, and might prophylactic use of ICDs early after MI reduce the risk of cardi...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Albert Starr, MD On the 50th anniversary of the first successful prosthetic mitral valve replacement, how far has cardiac surgery come, and where are we headed? Tune in to hear Dr. Albert Starr, co-founder of the first artificial mitral valve, medical director of the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute, and director of Academic Affairs & Bioscience Development...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Albert Starr, MD On the 50th anniversary of the first successful prosthetic mitral valve replacement, how far has cardiac surgery come, and where are we headed? Tune in to hear Dr. Albert Starr, co-founder of the first artificial mitral valve, medical director of the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute, and director of Academic Affairs & Bioscience Development...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Sanjay Kaul, MD, MPH Atrial-fibrillation, or a-fib, affects nearly 2.5 million patients in the US, and is one of the more common forms of arrhythmia. The antiarrhythmic armamentarium has been expanded to include dronedarone, which was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of a-fib. What's the efficacy and safety of dronedarone, compared to other antiarrhythmi...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Sanjay Kaul, MD, MPH Atrial-fibrillation, or a-fib, affects nearly 2.5 million patients in the US, and is one of the more common forms of arrhythmia. The antiarrhythmic armamentarium has been expanded to include dronedarone, which was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of a-fib. What's the efficacy and safety of dronedarone, compared to other antiarrhythmi...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Paul Heidenreich Sudden cardiac death among high school or college athletes is rare but tragic, and is jarring to families, friends and communities. What additional measures can physicians take to prevent sudden cardiac death among these students? Current guidelines for screening of young athletes in the U.S. do not include electrocardiography but should they, especia...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Paul Heidenreich Sudden cardiac death among high school or college athletes is rare but tragic, and is jarring to families, friends and communities. What additional measures can physicians take to prevent sudden cardiac death among these students? Current guidelines for screening of young athletes in the U.S. do not include electrocardiography but should they, especia...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Sidney Smith New evidence strengthens the link between air pollution and heart disease. How strong is the data suggesting a causal relationship between the two? Dr. Sidney Smith, professor of medicine and director of the Center for Cardiovascular Science and Medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill says there are two areas of interest in determining...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Sidney Smith New evidence strengthens the link between air pollution and heart disease. How strong is the data suggesting a causal relationship between the two? Dr. Sidney Smith, professor of medicine and director of the Center for Cardiovascular Science and Medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill says there are two areas of interest in determining...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Stephen Kopecky, MD Drastic lifestyle changes can seem daunting to patients and physicians alike. Fortunately, new research is demonstrating the importance of moderation in improving cardiovascular health. How can small tweaks to a patient's lifestyle have a substantial impact his or her heart health? Dr. Steve Kopecky, cardiologist at Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Hea...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Stephen Kopecky, MD Drastic lifestyle changes can seem daunting to patients and physicians alike. Fortunately, new research is demonstrating the importance of moderation in improving cardiovascular health. How can small tweaks to a patient's lifestyle have a substantial impact his or her heart health? Dr. Steve Kopecky, cardiologist at Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Hea...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Scott Sharkey, MD Takotsubo, or stress-induced cardiomyopathy (also known as 'broken heart syndrome'), was first recognized in Japan in the 1990s. Acute emotional or physical stress trigger the condition, which mimics the symptoms of a myocardial infarction (or MI). How can physicians differentiate between stress-induced cardiomyopathy and a more conventional MI, and...