Infiltrative cardiomyopathies are a diverse group of cardiac diseases caused by the deposition of abnormal substances within the myocardium and include diseases, such as Fabry disease, sarcoidosis and less common genetic diseases, such as Friedreich’s ataxia and Danon disease.1 Cardiac amyloidosis is the exemplar infiltrative cardiomyopathy and is characterized by the deposition of misfolded precursor proteins into […]
touchCARDIO spoke with Dr Ganesan Karthikeyan All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India to get the results from the SAFE-PVT trial, presented at ESC 2024. SAFE-PVT was created to look at the difference in outcomes between surgery and fibrinolytic therapy to treat left-sided mechanical valve thrombosis, a condition that, while rare in developed countries, continues to affect patients in low- and middle-income countries where there are additional challenges in maintaining anticoagulation. This study looked to discern the differences in outcomes between surgery, the most common option in developed countries and also most recommended in Western guidelines, and fibrinolytic therapy with a low-dose, slow-infusion tPA regimen.
touchCARDIO spoke with Dr Mike Gibson, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA to discuss the results of his trial investigating the relationship between apolipoprotein A-I infusions and cardiovascular outcomes, presented at ESC 2024. He explains that while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is generally associated with good outcomes, not all HDL is equally effective at removing cholesterol from plaque, a process known as cholesterol efflux, which is crucial for better outcomes after a heart attack.
A recent study published in Nature Medicine has provided compelling evidence that wearable devices can play a crucial role in managing atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients.
Education, Conference Coverage and Articles
The first-in-human implantation of a leadless pacing system occurred already more than 10 years ago.1 The first-generation ventricular leadless pacemaker could provide only asynchronous ventricular pacing (ventricular, ventricular, inhibited [VVI], or ventricular, ventricular, inhibited, rate response [VVIR]), limiting its indications to ...
Visionary Voices: Season 1, Episode 7 Join us in this episode as Trudie Lobban, Founder and Trustee of Arrhythmia Alliance, discusses the remarkable work of Pace4Life. This innovative charity repurposes cardiac electronic devices, delivering critical heart care to communities in low- ...
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in adults worldwide.1 Coronary angiography (CAG) is the gold standard method for evaluating atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD).2 It is conventionally performed via the trans-femoral (TF) route. Recently, however, ...
This corrects the article: “Ioannou A. Evolution of Disease-modifying Therapy for Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis. Heart International. 2024;18(1):30-37”. Two typography errors were included incorrectly due to an editorial error. In Table 1, “eplontersen” was incorrectly written as “eplomtersen”. This has been corrected ...
In this engaging short animation, learn how cholesterol-lowering MTP inhibitors act to reduce cholesterol in people with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, and explore clinical data supporting their long-term hepatic safety.
The Ground-BrEAking Electroporation-based inTervention for Atrial Fibrillation (BEAT-AF) treatment project is an initiative funded by the European Commission from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, and managed under the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (grant number 945125).1,2 The ...
We are sorry to announce the death of one of our valued editorial board members, Dr Richard Heuser (November 17, 1950–May 23, 2024). Richard R Heuser, MD, FACC, FACP, FESC, MSCAI, was an internationally recognized cardiologist, inventor, educator and author, and was a ...
Highlights The autonomic nervous system plays a critical role in the aetiopathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Neuromodulation of the autonomic nervous system has been a topic of increased interest in the management of AF. Ablation of ganglionated plexi, ethanol ablation ...
Welcome to the summer issue of Heart International. We are excited to present a collection of insightful articles that delve into various aspects of cardiovascular health and related interventions. This issue encompasses a wide array of topics, from novel treatment ...
Infiltrative cardiomyopathies are a diverse group of cardiac diseases caused by the deposition of abnormal substances within the myocardium and include diseases, such as Fabry disease, sarcoidosis and less common genetic diseases, such as Friedreich’s ataxia and Danon disease.1 ...
Summary Few clinical studies have shown an association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and osteoporosis. This cross-sectional study has shown that, among Indian postmenopausal women, the prevalence of CAD increases across lower bone mineral density categories. Femoral neck osteoporosis confers ...
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists piqued our interest when Marso et al. demonstrated that liraglutide significantly reduced cardiovascular events (CVEs) in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who were at a high cardiovascular (CV) risk compared with placebo in ...
Hypertension (HTN) is one of the largest contributors to cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in the USA and is estimated to affect 47% of the adult population or approximately 122 million adults older than 20 years of age.1 Recent estimates suggest that over 40% ...
Over the past two decades, the field of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has experienced remarkable advancement. Initially approved for patients with high and prohibitive surgical risk, TAVR has progressively extended its indications to all patients, regardless of surgical risk. ...
Catheter ablation (CA) is an invasive adjunctive therapeutic option for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, in uncontrolled cases, following optimal medical therapy.1,2 The validation of 3D mapping and its implementation into clinical usage has been a remarkable achievement in the field ...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death on a global scale. Nearly 18 million people died from CVD in 2019, accounting for about one-third of all deaths globally.1 The primary cause of CVD-related death and morbidity is ischaemic ...
Clinically relevant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common disorder, affecting approximately 4% of people 75 years of age or older.1 If left untreated, severe TR results in volume overload and right ventricular remodelling. This eventually leads to symptomatic right-sided heart failure, along ...
Introducing the Editorial Board of Heart International, who support our mission to advance medical knowledge and practice by ensuring the integrity, relevance, and impact of the content we publish. Together, we strive to foster a vibrant academic community and contribute to the continuous improvement of healthcare worldwide.
Interventional Cardiology
Chairman, Department of Cardiology and Chief Medical Executive of Holy Spirit Cardiovascular Institute at Holy Spirit Hospital, Camp Hill, PA, USA
Dr. Rajesh Davé is a recognized leader in cardiovascular intervention, and currently serves as Chairman, Department of Cardiology and Chief Medical Executive of Holy Spirit Cardiovascular Institute at Holy Spirit Hospital, Camp Hill, PA, USA. He is founder and chairman of the Complex Cardiovascular Catheter Therapeutics congress, known as C3. He is a frequent speaker for cardiovascular conferences around the world and has given hundreds of lectures. He is a pioneer in endovascular intervention, especially critical limb ischemia, limb salvage and carotid artery stenting. He has performed over 10,000 interventional procedures in his career. He has advised medical device start-ups regarding the designs of current and future products. He has served as Principal Investigator for a variety of clinical trials. He has authored many manuscripts and book chapters, and he serves on the editorial boards of numerous medical journals.
Interventional Cardiology
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Manchester Heart Centre and Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Dr Magdi El-Omar is a consultant interventional cardiologist at the Manchester Heart Centre and an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. He graduated from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK, in 1988 and undertook his postgraduate general medical training in London and Oxford. He then completed his general cardiology training in Birmingham, Oxford and Wales before subspecializing in coronary intervention. The latter included a 2.5-year clinical/research fellowship in interventional cardiology at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and the New York University Medical Centre, New York, NY, USA. During his time there, he worked closely with leaders in the field, including doctors Greg Stone, Martin Leon, Gary Roubin, Frederick Feit and Aaron Marcus. Dr El-Omar has been involved in research for over 25 years. He undertook a 2-year British Heart Foundation Junior Research Fellowship in basic science (diabetic cardiomyopathy in a rat model) in 1997–8, which led to the award of an MD degree from the University of London. He has since been actively involved in clinical research, especially in the fields of acute coronary syndromes and coronary intervention. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed articles, mostly in high-impact journals. He has been a local principal investigator for several landmark, international, multicentre trials (e.g. HORIZONS-AMI, INFUSE-AMI, TOTAL, TWILIGHT, etc.). He is actively involved in education and training and is a course co-director of the International Complex Cardiovascular Catheter Therapeutics Conference in the USA.
Interventional Cardiology
Chief of the Department of Interventional Radiology and Cardiology, Policlinico Bancario, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dr Samaja is a distinguished cardiologist and interventional radiologist, currently serving as the Chief of the Department of Interventional Radiology and Cardiology at Policlinico Bancario in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition, he is the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at “Sanatorio Colegiales” in Buenos AiresConsultant in Cardiovascular Disease at the “Dirección General de Obra Social del Servicio Penitenciario Federal” and various other public, union, and private health structures throughout Argentina.
Dr Samaja is an active member of several prestigious professional organizations, including the Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología (SAC), Colegio Argentino de Cardioangiólogos Intervencionistas (CACI), and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Cardiología Intervencionista (SOLACI). Additionally, he is a Fellow of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and a member of Heart International.
As a founder member of the Interventional Academy, Dr Samaja has made significant contributions to the field of interventional cardiology. He has held over fifty faculty appointments at international scientific meetings, including CIT since 2009, C3 Orlando since 2012, and has been a faculty member at EuroPCR, TCT, India Live, Egypt, and various other meetings in Argentina, South America, and overseas.
Dr Samaja has an extensive record of scholarly contributions, with more than fifty cases, abstracts, and poster presentations as an author or coauthor at scientific meetings. His expertise and commitment to advancing cardiovascular care have made him a respected leader in his field.
Cardiovascular disease
Professor of Medicine and Founding Program Director for Cardiology Fellowship, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center at Nashville, TN, USA
Dr Timir Paul is a Professor of Medicine and Founding Program Director for Cardiology Fellowship at University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center at Nashville. After receiving MD, he was awarded PhD and MPH in Cardiovascular Epidemiology by Tulane University. He has served as the Founding Co-Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Risk Research at East Tennessee State University. He has authored and coauthored more than 200 publications and book chapters. He serves as an academic editor for PLOS ONE Journal and on the Editorial Board for several Cardiology Journals including Journal of the Society of Coronary Angiography and Intervention, Catheterization and Cardiovascular Intervention, Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine and Heart International. His research and recommendations changed the 2021 ACC/AHA 2021 and 2018 European Society of Cardiology guidelines on coronary revascularization by downgrading the use of embolic protection device in vein graft intervention from Class I to Class IIa. He received several grants including a PCORI grant and a 4.5 million dollars AHRQ grant as a co-investigator. His research interests include vein graft interventions, embolic protection devices in coronary and peripheral interventions, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary microvascular disease, and renal artery interventions. He was recognized as SCAI-Emerging Leader Mentorship Program Circle member and Young Leader by the Cardiovascular Revascularization Technologies. He is an invitee of the 2022 and 2023 ACC Leadership Forum. He received the best teaching award given by cardiology fellows for the 4 consecutive years. He was inducted by Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society as a faculty member. He received Dean’s distinguished research award. He is an invited faculty for national and international scientific conferences including SCAI, ACC, AHA and CRT. He serves on the SCAI QI and International Committee and ACC PDGME Leadership Council.
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