Heart Matters

Host: Alfred Bove, MD Guest: Howard Eisen, MD There are many potential options for treating left ventricular dysfunction, from medical to device therapies. Dr. Howard Eisen, Thomas J. Vischer Professor of Medicine and chief of the division of cardiology at Drexel University College of Medicine and Hahnemann University Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, outlines the roles of bypass surgery, p...

Host: Alfred Bove, MD Guest: Jeffrey Olin, DO Fibromuscular dysplasia, most commonly found in the renal or carotid arteries, often goes undiagnosed, even though the condition may affect three- to five-percent of the U.S. patient population. What are symptoms of FMD, and in what patients should physicians screen for FMD, despite the absence of symptom presentation? Dr. Jeffrey Olin, professor of ca...

Host: Alfred Bove, MD Guest: Jeffrey Olin, DO Fibromuscular dysplasia, most commonly found in the renal or carotid arteries, often goes undiagnosed, even though the condition may affect three- to five-percent of the U.S. patient population. What are symptoms of FMD, and in what patients should physicians screen for FMD, despite the absence of symptom presentation? Dr. Jeffrey Olin, professor of ca...

Host: Alfred Bove, MD Guest: William Dec, MD Correcting anemia or iron deficiency in patients with heart failure has been shown to improve mortality and quality of life. Among patients with heart failure, how common are anemia and iron deficiency? What type of iron supplementation therapy is most effective? Dr. William Dec, chief of the cardiology division, co-director of the Massachusetts General...

Host: Alfred Bove, MD Guest: William Dec, MD Correcting anemia or iron deficiency in patients with heart failure has been shown to improve mortality and quality of life. Among patients with heart failure, how common are anemia and iron deficiency? What type of iron supplementation therapy is most effective? Dr. William Dec, chief of the cardiology division, co-director of the Massachusetts General...

Host: Alfred Bove, MD Guest: Charles Love, MD Defibrillator and pacemaker leads can be challenging to remove or replace, even when the procedure is performed by an experienced cardiologist. Infection, manufacturer recall and device malfunction are all reasons a lead might require extraction. How can we balance the risks of the procedure with the potential harms of leaving a lead implanted? Dr. Cha...

Host: Alfred Bove, MD Guest: Charles Love, MD Defibrillator and pacemaker leads can be challenging to remove or replace, even when the procedure is performed by an experienced cardiologist. Infection, manufacturer recall and device malfunction are all reasons a lead might require extraction. How can we balance the risks of the procedure with the potential harms of leaving a lead implanted? Dr. Cha...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Christopher Cannon, MD Previous trials, including the ENHANCE trial , have raised doubts about the clinical benefits of adding ezetimibe to high-dose statin therapy. The ARBITER 6-HALTS trial added further weight to the results of ENHANCE, wherein the ARBITER trial demonstrated that extended-release niacin was superior to ezetimibe as adjunctive therapy to high-dose sta...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Christopher Cannon, MD Previous trials, including the ENHANCE trial , have raised doubts about the clinical benefits of adding ezetimibe to high-dose statin therapy. The ARBITER 6-HALTS trial added further weight to the results of ENHANCE, wherein the ARBITER trial demonstrated that extended-release niacin was superior to ezetimibe as adjunctive therapy to high-dose sta...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: George Halvorson How does an integrated cardiac care model work, and how difficult a process is such a model to implement? What are the various components of the program, and what have the results been? George Halvorson, chairman and chief executive officer of Kaiser Permanente and author of the book Healthcare Will Not Reform Itself , joins host Dr. Jack Lewin to discu...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: George Halvorson How does an integrated cardiac care model work, and how difficult a process is such a model to implement? What are the various components of the program, and what have the results been? George Halvorson, chairman and chief executive officer of Kaiser Permanente and author of the book Healthcare Will Not Reform Itself , joins host Dr. Jack Lewin to discu...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: David Morrow, MD, MPH Standard troponin assays can be a crucial tool in diagnosing myocardial infarction, but have also been criticized for their low specificity at the time of presentation. Will newer, more sensitive troponin assays improve early detection and diagnostic accuracy for MI? Even with use of the newer assays, Dr. David Morrow, associate professor of medi...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: David Morrow, MD, MPH Standard troponin assays can be a crucial tool in diagnosing myocardial infarction, but have also been criticized for their low specificity at the time of presentation. Will newer, more sensitive troponin assays improve early detection and diagnostic accuracy for MI? Even with use of the newer assays, Dr. David Morrow, associate professor of medi...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Judith Hochman, MD What are the 2009 recommendations for best managing ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI, and the need for percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI? Dr. Judith Hochman, the Harold Snyder Family Professor of Cardiology and clinical chief of cardiology at the New York University (NYU)-New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (H...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Judith Hochman, MD What are the 2009 recommendations for best managing ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI, and the need for percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI? Dr. Judith Hochman, the Harold Snyder Family Professor of Cardiology and clinical chief of cardiology at the New York University (NYU)-New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (H...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Arthur Moss, MD Although cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is recommended for patients with moderate to severe heart failure and a prolonged QRS interval, is it ever recommended for patients with mild cardiac symptoms? Can prophylactic resynchronization therapy, delivered by an implantable defibrillator, reduce the risk of heart failure or death in those patient...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Arthur Moss, MD Although cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is recommended for patients with moderate to severe heart failure and a prolonged QRS interval, is it ever recommended for patients with mild cardiac symptoms? Can prophylactic resynchronization therapy, delivered by an implantable defibrillator, reduce the risk of heart failure or death in those patient...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Aram Chobanian, MD In recent years, we have developed a sufficient understanding of the mechanisms behind hypertension that has led to the evolution of numerous diagnostic and treatment options. Yet the prevalence of hypertension persists. Why does hypertension continue to disable and kill millions throughout the world, and what can we do to reduce the incidence of th...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Aram Chobanian, MD In recent years, we have developed a sufficient understanding of the mechanisms behind hypertension that has led to the evolution of numerous diagnostic and treatment options. Yet the prevalence of hypertension persists. Why does hypertension continue to disable and kill millions throughout the world, and what can we do to reduce the incidence of th...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Gerard R. Martin, MD Although congenital heart disease is one of the most common birth defects, its complexity has made the accumulation of an evidence base a challenge. The IMPACT registry, which stands for improving pediatric and adult congenital treatments, has been created to fill this information gap, and it is hoped that these data will provide clinical evidence...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Gerard R. Martin, MD Although congenital heart disease is one of the most common birth defects, its complexity has made the accumulation of an evidence base a challenge. The IMPACT registry, which stands for improving pediatric and adult congenital treatments, has been created to fill this information gap, and it is hoped that these data will provide clinical evidence...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Donald Berwick, MD, MPP There are several prominent points of disagreement in today's health reform debate, but one area of general accord involves hospital readmissions: we can (and must) do much better in coordinating the transition and follow-up process for admissions and readmissions — and, if executed properly, this will improve outcomes for our patients. As we emb...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Donald Berwick, MD, MPP There are several prominent points of disagreement in today's health reform debate, but one area of general accord involves hospital readmissions: we can (and must) do much better in coordinating the transition and follow-up process for admissions and readmissions — and, if executed properly, this will improve outcomes for our patients. As we emb...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Timir Baman, MD Charitable organizations have been working for years to support the harvesting of pacemakers for implantation in individuals worldwide, for whom these lifesaving and life-prolonging devices otherwise might not be available. It is a practice that is not currently allowed for reuse within the United States, on the grounds that it has not been proven safe...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Timir Baman, MD Charitable organizations have been working for years to support the harvesting of pacemakers for implantation in individuals worldwide, for whom these lifesaving and life-prolonging devices otherwise might not be available. It is a practice that is not currently allowed for reuse within the United States, on the grounds that it has not been proven safe...