Heart Matters

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Harlan Krumholz, MD The transition from inpatient to outpatient status is a vulnerable spot in our health care system: more than one in four patients with congestive heart failure are back in the hospital within 30 days of discharge, and readmission rates for a host of other conditions are above 20 percent. The right improvements during this transition phase could have...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Regina Herzlinger, PhD The role of specialization in our economy dates back to the 18th century. Now fast-forward to healthcare in the present day: one application of specialization is the concept of a focused factory, where care providers focus on one or two specific organs or disease processes. Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Dr. Regina Herzlinger, the Nancy R. McPherson...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Regina Herzlinger, PhD The role of specialization in our economy dates back to the 18th century. Now fast-forward to healthcare in the present day: one application of specialization is the concept of a focused factory, where care providers focus on one or two specific organs or disease processes. Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Dr. Regina Herzlinger, the Nancy R. McPherson...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Nancy Brown Decisions our young patients make now can have metabolic consequences for the rest of their lives. It's hard to overstate, not only how crucial it is that we reduce the incidence of childhood obesity, but also how difficult it has been for us to turn the corner on this issue. These concurrent themes are central to a campaign put forth by the American Heart A...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Nancy Brown Decisions our young patients make now can have metabolic consequences for the rest of their lives. It's hard to overstate, not only how crucial it is that we reduce the incidence of childhood obesity, but also how difficult it has been for us to turn the corner on this issue. These concurrent themes are central to a campaign put forth by the American Heart A...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Joshua Hare, MD Cardiac disease was once thought to be both progressive and irreversible. As stem cell therapies emerge across many fields of medicine, our patients with cardiac disorders may be among the first to benefit from this translation of basic science into very valuable clinical applications. What do the latest findings tell us about our ability to tap into t...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Joshua Hare, MD Cardiac disease was once thought to be both progressive and irreversible. As stem cell therapies emerge across many fields of medicine, our patients with cardiac disorders may be among the first to benefit from this translation of basic science into very valuable clinical applications. What do the latest findings tell us about our ability to tap into t...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Salim Yusuf, DPhil, FRCPC Start with one part diuretic. Add one part ACE inhibitor, and sprinkle in one part beta blocker. Then add a dose of statins, and top it off with a portion of antiplatelets. Here we have the proposed recipe for a singular pill that some experts believe will eventually help us stick a fork in heart disease. Yet there are pharmacologic concerns...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Salim Yusuf, DPhil, FRCPC Start with one part diuretic. Add one part ACE inhibitor, and sprinkle in one part beta blocker. Then add a dose of statins, and top it off with a portion of antiplatelets. Here we have the proposed recipe for a singular pill that some experts believe will eventually help us stick a fork in heart disease. Yet there are pharmacologic concerns...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Noel Bairey Merz, MD Research tells us that more than 80 percent of American women have used hormonal contraception during their lives. Though evidence suggests hormonal contraception could offer anti-atheromatous effects, the verdict is far from in. Further, we have a lot to learn about the long-term risks for thrombosis, arrythmogenesis, vasomotion and beyond. As we...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Noel Bairey Merz, MD Research tells us that more than 80 percent of American women have used hormonal contraception during their lives. Though evidence suggests hormonal contraception could offer anti-atheromatous effects, the verdict is far from in. Further, we have a lot to learn about the long-term risks for thrombosis, arrythmogenesis, vasomotion and beyond. As we...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Rita Redberg, MD, MSc Does elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) make sense for patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), or are some better off with optimal medical therapy? The answer may depend on our ability to document ischemia in these patients, but it also leads us to another question: are we doing enough, through stress testing or other m...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Rita Redberg, MD, MSc Does elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) make sense for patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), or are some better off with optimal medical therapy? The answer may depend on our ability to document ischemia in these patients, but it also leads us to another question: are we doing enough, through stress testing or other m...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Rita Redberg, MD, MSc It is increasingly recognized that symptoms of heart disease are different for men and women. But it appears we are often slower to recognize heart disease in women, resulting in important distinctions in early treatment and outcomes. What are these differences, and how can we, as providers, help narrow this gender gap? Host Dr. Janet Wright welc...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Rita Redberg, MD, MSc It is increasingly recognized that symptoms of heart disease are different for men and women. But it appears we are often slower to recognize heart disease in women, resulting in important distinctions in early treatment and outcomes. What are these differences, and how can we, as providers, help narrow this gender gap? Host Dr. Janet Wright welc...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Robert Hendel, MD We're seeing some progress in cardiac imaging toward this lofty goal, thanks, in part, to a system that combines online technology with science-based selection criteria. The system will help us track patterns of care, provide insights into variations in care across the country and ensure that patients get the test that brings the most value to their...

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Robert Hendel, MD We're seeing some progress in cardiac imaging toward this lofty goal, thanks, in part, to a system that combines online technology with science-based selection criteria. The system will help us track patterns of care, provide insights into variations in care across the country and ensure that patients get the test that brings the most value to their...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Mark McClellan, MD, PhD It takes a substantial measure of time, money and manpower to bring a new drug from the bench to the marketplace. One key aspect of this sequence is the drug approval process, overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brooking...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Mark McClellan, MD, PhD It takes a substantial measure of time, money and manpower to bring a new drug from the bench to the marketplace. One key aspect of this sequence is the drug approval process, overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brooking...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Alfred Bove, MD The next year promises to be an important one in health policy, in cardiology and in many other areas of medicine, as we set our sights on significant transformations across our health care system. What improvements can you anticipate that will enrich your practice environment and enhance the care you provide to your patients? Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcome...

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Alfred Bove, MD The next year promises to be an important one in health policy, in cardiology and in many other areas of medicine, as we set our sights on significant transformations across our health care system. What improvements can you anticipate that will enrich your practice environment and enhance the care you provide to your patients? Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcome...

Host: Doug Weaver, MD Guest: Don Poldermans, MD, PhD For patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, perioperative management often focuses on recognition and treatment of cardiac risk factors and disease. Dr. Don Poldermans, professor of medicine and head of perioperative cardiac care at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, joins host Dr. Doug Weaver to explain how medical tre...

Host: Doug Weaver, MD Guest: Don Poldermans, MD, PhD For patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, perioperative management often focuses on recognition and treatment of cardiac risk factors and disease. Dr. Don Poldermans, professor of medicine and head of perioperative cardiac care at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, joins host Dr. Doug Weaver to explain how medical tre...

Host: Doug Weaver, MD Guest: John A. Cairns, MD Long-term anticoagulation is often viewed as inconvenient and somewhat risky, even for patients with atrial fibrillation who are at elevated risk for stroke. Are these factors overshadowing the evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of anticoagulant therapy in preventing stroke? Dr. John Cairns, professor of medicine in the division of cardiolo...

Host: Doug Weaver, MD Guest: John A. Cairns, MD Long-term anticoagulation is often viewed as inconvenient and somewhat risky, even for patients with atrial fibrillation who are at elevated risk for stroke. Are these factors overshadowing the evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of anticoagulant therapy in preventing stroke? Dr. John Cairns, professor of medicine in the division of cardiolo...