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Duke Heart Week Ending August 29th 2021

August 29, 2021 / Leave a comment

Chief’s message: Cardiac Sonographers graduation, Digital European Society of Cardiology Meeting and other highlights.

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the graduation of the first Duke Cardiac Sonographers certificate program – a program many years in the making. The program originally conceived of by Joe Kisslo was never put into place until we had the fortune of recruiting both Anita Kelsey and Richie Palma from Connecticut – where they had run a successful training course for many years. We will have the official write up of it next week – but I include a few photos I took here. The school, training, and CDU work by this group is a testament to the teamwork, quality, and long-standing desire to continue to strive for excellence in imaging that Joe Kisslo and others have embedded at Duke. More to come on this accomplishment, but I wanted to include a few photo’s here as it was great to see the first class graduate.

Additionally, this weekend had the start of the European Society of Cardiology meeting with several important studies and highlights. Some of our key faculty presentations are below, and we have several more to come. My vote for the most impactful trial to human health is the Salt Substitution study (SSaSS) where 600 villages in China were cluster randomized to getting usual salt (100% Sodium Chloride) or salt substitute (75% sodium chloride and 25% potassium chloride- KCl). The Salt Substitute reduced cardiovascular events and reduced mortality by 12%. Although our sources of salt are different in the US, we will quickly be hearing about how this type of substitution should be considered and tested in our communities to improve health through BP improvement and CV event reduction. Other key findings from the ESC were around new therapies for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (heart failure with normal heart function) – EMPERIOR-Preserved, the testing of short course Dual Anti-platelet therapy in patients with high bleeding risk post MI (1 vs. 3 months) – MASTERDAPT. This study showed no difference in clinical outcomes, less bleeding with 1 month (mostly in patients not on oral anti-coagulants). Our own Magnus Ohman writes the editorial in the New England Journal for this trial (you will see the link below). Additionally, important studies around managing atrial fibrillation both with exercise to prevent AF, anticoagulation in patients identified by screening and the benefit or lack thereof of routine screening for subclinical AF, and the benefit of prolonged anticoagulation post COVID-19 hospitalization by Renato Lopes and colleagues in Brazil were all presented. Lots of great science, and I know many of our faculty were up early hours on the weekend to present in the European time zone. Congratulations to all of our faculty, colleagues and collaborators who continue to help us advance the field of cardiovascular medicine.

Highlights of the week:

ESC Congress 2021: The Digital Experience

The European Society of Cardiology’s ESC Congress 2021 is underway (Aug. 27-30)! Duke presenters include include Jonathan Piccini, Renato Lopes, Sana Al-Khatib, Pamela Douglas, Manesh Patel and Adrian Hernandez and many others.

Note, the below links will only work for those who have registered (and it’s not too late to do so!)

On-Demand Content:

ePoster: Efficacy and safety of vericiguat in patients with HFrEF treated with sacubitril/valsartan: results from the VICTORIA trial

Adrian F Hernandez, MD, MHS

ePoster: Hemoglobin, anemia, and clinical outcomes in vericiguat global study in subjects with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (VICTORIA)

Adrian F Hernandez, MD, MHS

ePoster: Vericiguat and health status outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: Insights from the VICTORIA trial

Adrian F Hernandez, MD, MHS

Sessions:

August 27, Will computers interpret all cardiac imaging?

Pamela S Douglas, MD, MACC, FASE, FAHA

August 27, Late-Breaker: Two-Year Outcomes with Leadless Pacing- Micra CED Results

Jonathan P Piccini, MD, MHS, FHRS

August 28, Evolving Cardiovascular risk: Your patient’s past, present and future

Manesh R Patel, MD

August 28, Satellite Session: Building the evidence base for cardiac interventions in non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Renato D Lopes, MD, PhD

Remaining sessions include:

August 30 (2:15-3:00 a.m., on Live Abstracts: COVID-19 2), Live Abstract: COVID-19 and cardiovascular pharmacotherapy

Renato D Lopes, MD, PhD

August 30 (2-2:45 a.m., on Channel 5: Coronary Artery Disease), Great Debate: rise of the machines? – human vs. artificial intelligence for ECG interpretation

Sana M Al-Khatib, MD, MHS

August 30 (8:30-9:00 a.m., in Exhibit Hall B2), PRONOUNCE: comparing cardiovascular safety of degarelix vs. leuprolide in patients with advanced prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease

Renato D Lopes, MD, PhD

Congratulations to all the presenters.

NIH Funding Awarded to Piccini, Mathew

Congratulations to Jonathan Piccini and Joseph Mathew! They were notified this week by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging that their project, Neurocognition and Greater Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm in AF (NOGGIN AF), has been selected for award funding. The award is for $740,086 effective Sept. 1.

Piccini, Mathew and team will be using functional MRI and other cognitive testing to examine the hypothesis that catheter ablation leads to better preservation of brain function.

Nafissi Abstract Selected for 2021 NCYIF

Congratulations to Navid Nafissi, fellow in our Advanced Training in Cardiology fellowship program – his abstract, Integration of Electronic Health Records with Genetics in Monogenic Electrophysiologic Disorders, has been selected for presentation at the 17th Annual Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigators’ Forum (NCYIF) being held at The Omni Chicago Hotel, October 14-16, 2021, in Chicago, IL. His mentor is Svati Shah.

The event is presented by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Creative Educational Concepts, Inc., and supported by an independent educational grant from AstraZeneca.

Congratulations Navid!

Gail Cox Retirement Party Held

The Duke Cardiology at Southpoint team celebrated with nurse clinician Gail Cox on Friday, August 27. Cox recently announced her retirement from Duke and we know she will be missed by many!

“Gail is a great nurse who always provided compassionate care for our patients. She was also a trail blazer for the nurse clinician role with dual inpatient rounding and outpatient roles, which has evolved over the years.” — Carolyn Lekavich, PhD

“Gail is one of the longest serving nurse clinicians in Duke Cardiology. She started as nurse in the late 1980s on 7100. Her initial nurse clinician job was with Dr. Tom Wall and she worked with him on both the wards and in the clinic. When Tom left to take on a new position as a cardiologist in Greensboro, she was assigned to work with me. We worked together for over 25 years and Gail was a very thoughtful and caring nurse clinician in the clinic.

She was deeply involved with all her patients and they loved her back. An example of how much she connected with her patients came when she got remarried a number of years ago. At least 20 patients who Gail had helped came to her wedding! A true testament to her skill of connecting with our patients. I still see many patients who would like to get a ‘Gail update.’”

— Magnus Ohman, MD

“She has spent over 20 years with Duke Cardiology in support of various attendings including myself, Magnus and initially Tom Wall. Her experience and expertise in delivering patient-centered care through her role as a nurse clinician (a role she both defined and embodied) will be irreplaceable. She will be deeply missed by all of our patients, the staff at Southpoint and mostly myself.” — Mike Blazing, MD

Thank you, Gail, for the great patient care and support you’ve given over the years!

ICYMI: Ohman NEJM Editorial

The New England Journal of Medicine posted an editorial by E. Magnus Ohman on August 28. “The Evolving Post-PCI Antithrombotic Therapies” is available for viewing here: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2112747

Congratulations, Magnus!

CTICU APP Team Receives Preceptor Award

Our Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit Advance Practice Provider team has been awarded the 2021 Acute Care Preceptor Award from the Duke University School of Nursing MSN Program.

The award notification states:

“Due to your impressive leadership, scholarly success, and commitment to DUSON’s students and core values, and your ability to model effective teamwork while making our students feel part of the team is appreciated. As a team, you collectively worked to ensure our students had quality critical care experiences that not only reinforced what they learned in class, but informed their own practice as well. In a high stress environment, you showed the importance of grace under fire and treating patients with dignity and respect. Thank you for all of your efforts to help our students learn and grow as healthcare providers.”

Way to go — congratulations to all!

2021 Heart Walk Seeking Team Captains, Walkers

Recruitment for team captains and walkers is underway! Duke Heart is proud to again be sponsoring and participating in the Triangle Heart Walk, which is scheduled for Sunday, October 10. Due to pandemic circumstances, this year you can decide your walking path. The American Heart Association will have “pop-up” start lines at various locations throughout the Triangle (exact locations to be announced later) or you can choose to walk on your own, wherever is most convenient to you! The 2021 Heart Walk will offer maximum flexibility but remains focused on improving health of residents in the Triangle and to raising funds for lifesaving research.

The Heart Walk is a great way to put yourself and your health first. This year, an activity tracker has been built into the Heart Walk App, which goes live 30 days before the event (Sept. 10). Let’s see who can get the most minutes and be at the top of the leaderboard!

You can start your own team or join an existing one. Registration is quick and easy: simply visit triangleheartwalk.org/dukehealth2021. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to email Kimberly Burrows, senior director of development for the Triangle AHA, at kimberly.burrows@heart.org.

Celebration Held for McKinney

Thanks to all who were able to join us in celebrating with Heather McKinney. Her last day at Duke was Friday, August 27. McKinney is headed to Duke Lifepoint Healthcare’s Maria Parham Health in Henderson, NC, to serve as ICU/PCU Director.

Well-Being Resources Available
Over the past year and a half, the COVID pandemic has taken a toll on our mental and emotional health. Now more than ever, many people are experiencing increased feelings of burnout, depression and anxiety. We realize this is also true for many of our team members, especially those on the front lines caring for patients.

Caring for our patients, their loved ones and each other starts with caring for yourself. The ongoing challenges of the COVID pandemic are real. Please consider taking advantage of the many tools that are available to help manage feelings of burnout, anxiety and grief.

Duke’s Personal Assistance Service offers a variety of programs. The Business Health Services program is available for Duke Raleigh Hospital and Wake County-based team members. This coping card, developed by the Duke Center for Healthcare Safety & Quality includes practical, at-a-glance strategies, as well as additional well-being resources and contact phone numbers.

Thank you for the incredible care and compassion you provide to our patients, their loved ones and each other every day. Please remember to also take care of yourself.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

September 14: CGR Kick-off event: A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way with Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, James B. Duke Professor of Medicine; Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 5 p.m., Webex.

September 21: ESC 2021 Recap with Bernard Gersh (Mayo Clinic) and Christopher Granger. 5 p.m., Webex.

September 28: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Guidelines and Treatment Update with Andrew Wang. 7:15 a.m., Webex.

Upcoming Duke Heart CME

October 8: Duke Heart Failure Symposium: The Leading Edge of Heart Failure Management. Course directors are Richa Agarwal and Robert Mentz. 12 – 4:30 p.m. Zoom Webinar. To learn more and to register, please visit: http://duke.is/Q1sBtf

November 5: 13^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium. Course directors are H. James Ford (UNC) and Terry Fortin. 8:30 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Morning case-based workshops will be live, in person at Durham Convention Center (subject to change pending pandemic conditions). Masks and COVID vaccination required. Afternoon portion will be held via Zoom. For more information and to register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DrZwuv.

MDEpiNet Predictable and Sustainable Implementation of National Cardiovascular Registries (PASSION CVR): Registry-Supported Prospective Trials: What are we missing?

September 9: Part 1: Exploring Predicates and Lessons Learned. Noon – 5 p.m. ET. Virtual.

Join us for this Virtual Mini-Think Tank to explore opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned related to the uptake and adoption of registry-supported trials infrastructure! To register, please visit: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b3Egi7WMPhsG8MS

Meeting Objectives:

This collaborative, pre-competitive think tank aims to:

Part I (September 9th):

to provide a forum for frank discussion of predicates and “lessons learned” including operational barriers such as logistical, technical, fiscal and conceptual issues across key stakeholders
to develop themes for focused Working Groups going forward

Part II (Date TBD):

to target specific operational barriers with solution-oriented working groups tasked to define and develop concrete deliverables on a 12 month timeline in parallel with more aspirational deliverables of future import
to develop prospective study “use-case” opportunities leveraging prospective studies targeting regulatory- or clinical best practice- evidence collections

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.

Duke Heart in the News:

August 20 — Andrew Langstrom

Healio/Cardiology

AHA issues recommendations on pediatric genetic testing for heritable CVDs

http://duke.is/mIuSj2

August 20 — Andrew Langstrom

ClinicalOmics.com

AHA Provides its First Guidance on Cardiac Genetic Testing in Children

http://duke.is/Az78Y4

August 20 — Andrew Langstom

ScienceDaily

Cardiovascular disorder genetic testing in children presents unique challenges

http://duke.is/VbwW6H

*carried by 12 additional news outlets

August 20 — Andrew Langstrom

Heart.org

Genetic testing in children for heart disorders should be family-centered, include counseling

http://duke.is/Va14pg

August 23 — Robert Lefkowitz

Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

Robert Lefkowitz: A Soldier of Science

http://duke.is/gFyVkm

August 24 — Manesh Patel

HCPLive

FDA Approves Rivaroxaban for Post-LER Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

http://duke.is/387Nq3

August 24 — Christopher Granger

U.S. News & World Report

AHA News: Cardiac Arrest Program May Improve Bystander CPR But Not Survival in Black People

https://bit.ly/3krGKuw

*article appears in 21+ news outlets

August 25 — Paul Wischmeyer (Anesthesiology/Critical Care)

August 27 — James Blumenthal (Psychiatry)

Medscape

Antidepressant, Exercise Help Combat Anxiety in Coronary Heart Disease

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/957364

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed August 19-25, 2021

Alba GA, Atri D, Darbha S, Singh I, Tapson VF, Lewis MI, Chun HJ, Yu YR, Maron BA, Rajagopal S. Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: the Bench. Curr Cardiol Rep 2021;23(10):141. PM: 34410515.

Bertges DJ, Eldrup-Jorgensen J, Drozda J, Jones WS, Sedrakyan A, Krucoff MW, Cronenwett JL. Toward a better system for the sustainable development of objective performance goals for peripheral vascular interventions. J Vasc Surg 2021;74(3):1013-1014. PM: 34425943.

Greene SJ, Fonarow GC. Clinical inertia and medical therapy for heart failure: the unintended harms of ‘first, do no harm’. Eur J Heart Fail 2021;23(8):1343-1345. PM: 34184376.

Jones WS, Wruck LM, Hernandez AF. Aspirin Dosing in Cardiovascular Disease. Reply. N Engl J Med 2021;385(8):765. PM: 34407354.

Matusov Y, Singh I, Yu YR, Chun HJ, Maron BA, Tapson VF, Lewis MI, Rajagopal S. Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: the Bedside. Curr Cardiol Rep 2021;23(10):147. PM: 34410530.

Neshteruk CD, Zizzi A, Suarez L, Erickson E, Kraus WE, Li JS, Skinner AC, Story M, Zucker N, Armstrong SC. Weight-Related Behaviors of Children with Obesity during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Child Obes 2021;17(6):371-378. PM: 33902326.

Ponikowski P, Alemayehu W, Oto A, Bahit MC, Noori E, Patel MJ, Butler J, Ezekowitz JA, Hernandez AF, Lam CSP, O’Connor CM, Pieske B, Roessig L, Voors AA, Westerhout C, Armstrong PW. Vericiguat in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: insights from the VICTORIA trial. Eur J Heart Fail 2021;23(8):1300-1312. PM: 34191395.

Rosario KF, DeVore AD. Can we prevent infections in patients with left ventricular assist devices? Eur J Heart Fail 2021;23(8):1416-1418. PM: 34132005.

Valle JA, Li Z, Kosinski AS, Nelson AJ, Vemulapalli S, Cleveland J, Fullerton D, Messenger JC, Rove JY, Bricker RS, Bradley SM, Masoudi FA, Yeh RW, Armstrong EJ, Waldo SW, Carroll JD. Dissemination of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the United States. J Am Coll Cardiol 2021;78(8):794-806. PM: 34412813.

Voors AA, Mulder H, Reyes E, Cowie MR, Lassus J, Hernandez AF, Ezekowitz JA, Butler J, O’Connor CM, Koglin J, Lam CSP, Pieske B, Roessig L, Ponikowski P, Anstrom KJ, Armstrong PW. Renal function and the effects of vericiguat in patients with worsening heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: insights from the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with HFrEF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail 2021;23(8):1313-1321. PM: 33999486.

Zhang Y, Kontos CD, Annex BH, Popel AS. A systems biology model of junctional localization and downstream signaling of the Ang-Tie signaling pathway. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2021;7(1):34. PM: 34417472.

Duke Heart Week Ending August 22nd 2021

August 22, 2021 / Leave a comment

Transitions: McKinney Heading for New Role with Duke Life Point

Heather McKinney, MSN, RN, NE-BC, will be leaving Duke on August 27, 2021 for a position as ICU/PCU Director at a Duke LifePoint Hospital. Heather has worked in the Heart Center since 2002 in varying roles including as a staff nurse on 3100 and, for the past 13 years, as a Nurse Manager on 3100. During her time at Duke, Heather completed the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Nurse Manager fellowship, served on Duke University Health System and Duke University Hospital Committees, and had several presentations accepted at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute conference.

Heather, who is widely known for ‘leading with her heart,’ has a passion for mentorship of staff and leaders and has supported the professional growth and development of many throughout the service line. She has nominated several leaders who won Great 100 or Friends of Nursing awards.

On behalf of the entire Duke Heart Leadership Team, we thank Heather for her dedication to our patients, the faculty and staff of Duke Heart, as well as to Duke University Hospital. She will certainly be missed.

Please join us in wishing her well in her new role!

Friede Abstract Selected for 2021 NCYIF

Congratulations to interventional cardiology fellow Kevin Friede – his abstract, A Gene Expression Signature Reflective of Exposure to Antiplatelet Therapy is Associated with Bleeding, has been selected for presentation at the 17th Annual Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigators’ Forum (NCYIF) being held at The Omni Chicago Hotel, October 14-16, 2021, in Chicago, IL. His mentor is Deepak Voora.

The event is presented by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Creative Educational Concepts, Inc., and supported by an independent educational grant from AstraZeneca.

Congratulations Kevin!

Shout-out to Rymer, Freedman

A big shout-out this week for Jennifer Rymer and Neil Freedman from Jordan Pomeroy, who shared a note of gratitude with us:

“Huge praise for Jenn Rymer and Neil Freedman for covering/switching shifts with me this week for CAD Night coverage. It brings significant peace of mind to know that I will be home to help my wife and kids while she recovers. I greatly appreciate my colleagues!”

Way to go, Jenn and Neil! We love the teamwork and support our colleagues show to one another.

Faculty/Fellows Gathering Held

Thanks to all who were able to join us on Thursday evening at Ponysaurus Brewing Company here in Durham to welcome our newest fellows to Duke!

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

September 9: MDEpiNet Predictable and Sustainable Implementation of National Cardiovascular Registries (PASSION CVR): Registry-Supported Prospective Trials: What are we missing? Part 1: Exploring Predicates and Lessons Learned. Noon – 5 p.m. ET. Virtual.

Meeting Objectives:

This collaborative, pre-competitive think tank aims to:

Part I (September 9th):

to provide a forum for frank discussion of predicates and “lessons learned” including operational barriers such as logistical, technical, fiscal and conceptual issues across key stakeholders
to develop themes for focused Working Groups going forward

Part II (TBD):

to target specific operational barriers with solution-oriented working groups tasked to define and develop concrete deliverables on a 12 month timeline in parallel with more aspirational deliverables of future import
to develop prospective study “use-case” opportunities leveraging prospective studies targeting regulatory- or clinical best practice- evidence collections

Have news to share?

Duke Heart in the News:

August 12 — Adrian Hernandez

Reuters

Fact Check-Animal Ivermectin should not be used on humans

http://duke.is/9SvqTC

August 12 — Mitchell Krucoff and E. Magnus Ohman

tctMD

Conversations in Cardiology: Music in the Cath Lab?

http://duke.is/ceyJww

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed August 12-18, 2021

Atwater BD, Li Z, Pritchard J, Greiner MA, Nabutovsky Y, Hammill BG. Early Increased Physical Activity, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Survival After Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2021;14(8):e007580. PM: 34284598.

Benjamin EJ, Al-Khatib SM, Desvigne-Nickens P, Alonso A, Djoussé L, Forman DE, Gillis AM, Hendriks JML, Hills MT, Kirchhof P, Link MS, Marcus GM, Mehra R, Murray KT, Parkash R, Piña IL, Redline S, Rienstra M, Sanders P, Somers VK, Van Wagoner DR, Wang PJ. Research Priorities in the Secondary Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation: A National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Virtual Workshop Report. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(16):e021566. PM: 34351783.

Brennan JM, Lowenstern A, Sheridan P, Boero IJ, Thourani VH, Vemulapalli S, Wang TY, Liska O, Gander S, Jager J, Leon MB, Peterson ED. Association Between Patient Survival and Clinician Variability in Treatment Rates for Aortic Valve Stenosis. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(16):e020490. PM: 34387116.

Colaco NA, Wang TS, Ma Y, Scherzer R, Ilkayeva OR, Desvigne-Nickens P, Braunwald E, Hernandez AF, Butler J, Shah SH, Shah SJ, Hsue PY. Transmethylamine-N-Oxide Is Associated With Diffuse Cardiac Fibrosis in People Living With HIV. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(16):e020499. PM: 34365799.

Cremer PC, Wang TKM, Rodriguez LL, Lindman BR, Zhang Y, Zajarias A, Hahn RT, Lerakis S, Malaisrie SC, Douglas PS, Pibarot P, Svensson LG, Kapadia S, Leon MB, Jaber WA. Incidence and Clinical Significance of Worsening Tricuspid Regurgitation Following Surgical or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Analysis From the PARTNER IIA Trial. Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14(8):e010437. PM: 34266311.

Dehghani P, Cantor WJ, Wang J, Wood DA, Storey RF, Mehran R, Bainey KR, Welsh RC, Rodés-Cabau J, Rao S, Lavi S, Velianou JL, Natarajan MK, Ziakas A, Guiducci V, Fernández-Avilés F, Cairns JA, Mehta SR. Complete Revascularization in Patients Undergoing a Pharmacoinvasive Strategy for ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the COMPLETE Trial. Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14(8):e010458. PM: 34320839.

Dungan JR, Qin X, Hurdle M, Haynes CS, Hauser ER, Kraus WE. Corrigendum: Genome-Wide Variants Associated With Longitudinal Survival Outcomes Among Individuals With Coronary Artery Disease. Front Genet 2021;12:726466. PM: 34386044.

Eliya Y, Whitelaw S, Thabane L, Voors AA, Douglas PS, Van Spall HGC. Temporal Trends and Clinical Trial Characteristics Associated With the Inclusion of Women in Heart Failure Trial Steering Committees: A Systematic Review. Circ Heart Fail 2021;14(8):e008064. PM: 34281362.

Giugliano RP, Gencer B, Wiviott SD, Park JG, Fuchs CS, Goessling W, Musliner TA, Tershakovec AM, Blazing MA, Califf R, Cannon CP, Braunwald E. Prospective Evaluation of Malignancy in 17,708 Patients Randomized to Ezetimibe Versus Placebo: Analysis From IMPROVE-IT. JACC CardioOncol 2020;2(3):385-396. PM: 34396246.

Gomez JA, Payne A, Pratt RE, Hodgkinson CP, Dzau VJ. A role for Sfrp2 in cardiomyogenesis in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021;118(33):e2103676118. PM: 34380738.

Greene SJ, Choi S, Lippmann SJ, Mentz RJ, Greiner MA, Hardy NC, Hammill BG, Luo N, Samsky MD, Heidenreich PA, Laskey WK, Yancy CW, Peterson PN, Curtis LH, Hernandez AF, Fonarow GC, O’Brien EC. Clinical Effectiveness of Sacubitril/Valsartan Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(16):e021459. PM: 34350772.

Melloni C, Slovin SF, Blemings A, Goodman SG, Evans CP, Nilsson J, Bhatt DL, Zubovskiy K, Olesen TK, Dugi K, Clarke NW, Higano CS, Roe MT. Cardiovascular Safety of Degarelix Versus Leuprolide for Advanced Prostate Cancer: The PRONOUNCE Trial Study Design. JACC CardioOncol 2020;2(1):70-81. PM: 34396210.

Moll-Bernardes R, de Sousa AS, Macedo AVS, Lopes RD, Vera N, Maia LCR, Feldman A, Arruda GDAS, Castro MJC, Pimentel-Coelho PM, de Albuquerque DC, de Paula TC, Furquim TAB, Loures VA, Giusti KGD, de Oliveira NM, De Luca FA, Kotsugai MDM, Domiciano RAM, et al. IL-10 and IL-12 (P70) Levels Predict the Risk of Covid-19 Progression in Hypertensive Patients: Insights From the BRACE-CORONA Trial. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021;8:702507. PM: 34386533.

Paul S, Wong M, Akhabue E, Mehta RC, Kramer H, Isakova T, Carnethon MR, Wolf M, Gutiérrez OM. Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Middle-Aged Adults. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(16):e020196. PM: 34387090.

Piccini JP, Dufton C, Carroll IA, Healey JS, Abraham WT, Khaykin Y, Aleong R, Krueger SK, Sauer WH, Wilton SB, Rienstra M, van Veldhuisen DJ, Anand IS, White M, Camm AJ, Ziegler PD, Marshall D, Bristow MR, Connolly SJ. Bucindolol Decreases Atrial Fibrillation Burden in Patients With Heart Failure and the Arg389Arg Genotype. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2021;14(8):e009591. PM: 34270905.

Szarek M, Bhatt DL, Steg PG, Cannon CP, Leiter LA, McGuire DK, Lewis JB, Riddle MC, Voors AA, Metra M, Lund LH, Komajda M, Testani JM, Wilcox CS, Ponikowski P, Lopes RD, Banks P, Tesfaye E, Ezekowitz JA, Verma S, Pitt B. Effect of Sotagliflozin on Total Hospitalizations in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Worsening Heart Failure : A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med 2021;174(8):1065-1072. PM: 34152828.

Weissler EH, Osazuwa-Peters OL, Greiner MA, Hughes GC, Long CA, Vemulapalli S, Patel MR, Jones WS. National trends in repair for type B aortic dissection. Clin Cardiol 2021;44(8):1058-1068. PM: 34173677.

Duke Heart Week Ending August 15th 2021

August 15, 2021 / Leave a comment

Highlights of the week:

Kisslo Celebrated on 80^th

Members of the Duke Heart team gathered this past week both in person and virtually to celebrate Joe Kisslo’s recent (80th) birthday.

“From the first phased array to the world of echo and cardiology with more than 45 years at Duke echo lab!” – Fawaz Alenezi, MD

Happy birthday, Joe!

Many thanks to all who were able to participate, and special thanks to members of the Duke echo lab, especially Sreekanth Vemualapalli, Fawaz Alenezi and sonographers Ashlee Davis, Batina Kight and Brenda Sedberry for helping to make arrangements. We like the disco lighting!

Photos courtesy of Fawaz Alenezi.

Members of HF Team to be Recognized by HFSA

Congratulations to Tracy DeWald, PharmD; Kishan Parikh, MD, and Kimberly Biever, CRC – members of Duke’s Heart Failure team. They will be recognized during the Research Network Session of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Scientific Sessions (Sept. 10-13). Duke was selected for a Top Research Site Award for outstanding performance in the TRANSFORM, CONNECT-HF and SPIRRIT HFpEF clinical trials.

In a letter shared with us this past week, we learned:

“Congratulations! On behalf of Dr. O’Connor, HFSA Research Committee Chair and HF-Collaboratory PI, we are pleased to notify you that Duke University has been selected for a Top Research Site Award for your outstanding performance in the TRANSFORM, CONNECT-HF and SPIRRIT HFpEF clinical trials. You were nominated by Dr. Marat Fudim.

As an awardee, you will receive a $500 credit towards registration and membership for the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Scientific Sessions September 10 – 13 at the Gaylord Rockies in Denver, Colorado. Awardees will be recognized during the Research Network Session. We hope you can attend in person to be recognized; however, there will be a virtual option if you are unable to attend in person. You will also receive a certificate by mail.

In addition, we would be thrilled to have you join the HFSA Research Network. As part of this strong, integrated network of clinical investigators and coordinators under the umbrella of the HFSA, you will have access to best practices, be eligible to assist with site development and training, and make connections with sponsors interested in engaging research sites in their clinical trials. We are also developing future opportunities for central contracting, institutional review board, and budget negotiations.

As a Top Research Site, you will be recognized at the annual meeting, through Twitter, and on the HFSA and HF Collaboratory websites. In addition, we encourage you to join and maintain membership in the HFSA and continue to enjoy the benefits of membership.

Congratulations on this accomplishment!” — Sincerely, Christopher O’Connor, PI, Heart Failure Collaboratory and chair, HFSA Research Network and Research Committee.

Way to go!

Study Will Determine Rate of COVID Heart Inflammation Among Elite Athletes

An innovative study at Duke Health aims to determine the prevalence of COVID-related heart inflammation among top-level athletes and establish the symptoms and clinical features to ensure they receive timely and accurate diagnoses.

Heart inflammation, called myocarditis, can arise from COVID infections, and can cause chest pain, heart palpitations and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it can cause permanent damage. Numerous college and professional athletes have tested positive for COVID, adding heightened urgency to research on the cardiovascular effects of the infection.

The Duke-led study is an outgrowth of the Hearts of Athletes study that was launched to establish a better understanding of how hearts are altered by high-level athletic activities. With the new focus on COVID, the study will enroll 300 NCAA, professional and Olympic athletes around the country – 200 who have had COVID and 100 who have not – to undergo heart tests and participate in ongoing monitoring via a health app.

“Even before COVID, we did not have enough information about how the hearts of elite athletes might be different than other healthy people,” said study lead Manesh Patel, MD, chief of cardiology at Duke. “Now with COVID and its potential impact on the heart, it’s more important than ever to understand whether athletes face unique risks or greater protections based on their cardiovascular features.”

The Hearts of Athletes study is funded by The Joel Cornette Foundation, which was established by the family of former Division 1 basketball player Joel Cornette after he died unexpectedly in his mid-30s from an undiagnosed heart condition. The Cornette Foundation supports research into heart disease among athletes and selected Duke as the analytic center for the Hearts of Athletes study.

The study will be available to top athletes from across the U.S. through the Hearts of Athletes app — built on Deloitte’s ConvergeHEALTH MyPath for Clinical cloud-based digital platform — downloaded to their mobile devices.

Both COVID-positive and -negative study participants will undergo standard heart workups — including an echocardiogram followed by a cardiac MRI — at a medical facility where they live. Athletes who have received COVID vaccinations will also be eligible. Their de-identified cardiac images will then be sent to the Duke Heart Center for a blinded analysis. Those who have abnormalities will undergo additional observation and treatment.

Participants will also complete a daily health survey for a month, noting COVID symptoms and other health information, via the app.

The study will determine the rate of COVID-related myocardial involvement among athletes, as well as the symptoms and clinical features associated with the condition. Additionally, the data and images of the athletes’ hearts will be archived for additional research that could inform medical care and treatment.

“This study will help us better understand how COVID affects the hearts of athletes and, more importantly, how playing sports affects the heart more broadly,” Patel said. “Athletes need to know if they have heart conditions that put them at risk – this is information that is empowering. We need to be able to identify those conditions and weigh the impact.”

Shout-out to Nuttall

This past week, we were forwarded a note recognizing Savannah Nuttall, CNI on 7300, for compassionate care shown to a patient.

“Savannah, I just wanted to point out the wonderful care that you provided a patient in his last day and hours. I will long remember you holding his hand and comforting him as he passed, one of the most compassionate gestures I have seen in my career at Duke. The patient had no family, yet he passed with great comfort from you. You certainly have chosen the right field and we and our patients are fortunate to have you at Duke.” – Jamie Jollis, MD

“Savannah, thank you for the compassion you showed for our patient. Your display of caring helps us all remember the real reason we are healthcare providers. Thank you for providing him with support and human touch during his last day and hours. You exemplify what a nurse and healthcare provider brings to those in need. We are so fortunate to have you as part of the Duke Heart team.” – Jill Engel, DNP, ACCNP, NEA-BC, FAANP, AVP Heart Services

Monica Harper, nurse manager operations, 7300, shared, “We all want to thank Savannah for taking time to comfort a patient as he was dying. Her caring and meaningful actions truly exemplify Duke values of putting patients first.”

Savannah wanted to ensure that Dr. Jollis and Janny Sweetow were also recognized, as both advocated and cared for the patient. Both “went above & beyond to make sure he was comfortable as well as check in on me & make sure I was okay.”

We thank each of you for the compassionate care given to this patient as he neared the end of his life. Well done.

Jon Andrews, MD, Joins Cardiac Anesthesiology Team

Mihai Podgoreanu, chief, division of cardiac anesthesiology, announced the addition of Jon Andrews, MD, to the Duke Cardiac Anesthesiology faculty. In a note sent last weekend, Podgoreanu wrote:

“Please join me in welcoming Jon Andrews, MD to our Cardiothoracic family. After serving our country during multiple deployments as part of the US Army Special Forces, Jon obtained his medical degree, anesthesiology residency and dual fellowship training in adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology and pediatric anesthesia at Duke. Jon will start in the CTOR tomorrow (Monday, August 9), and will participate in the care of both adult and pediatric cardiac surgical patients.”

Please give Jon a warm welcome when you meet him!

Reminder: Faculty & Fellows Gathering

Please join us for a cardiology faculty and fellows happy hour at Ponysaurus Brewery on Thursday, August 19th from 5-8 p.m. We have rented the covered top deck of the brewery so that we can get together rain or shine!

Some Duke Photos from the Week:

Dr. Bashore checking in with Dr. Sketch on the weekend

Submitted by Jason Katz: Cardiology and Anesthesiology/critical care fellows working together in the CTICU on a procedure.

Scholars Tip of the Month: First Impressions

As we prepare for the start of another academic year, consider giving your Scholars@Duke profile a fresh new look. Your profile picture is often the very first thing someone sees on your profile, so please take a moment to ensure you are leveraging your photo correctly to establish a friendly and professional first impression with students, patients, and peers. We’ve gathered five tips to help you select the perfect profile picture. – Scholars@Duke team

5 Tips for a Perfect Profile Picture

Choose a photo that looks like you. Make sure your Scholars profile picture is up-to-date (within the past few years) and reflects how you look on a daily basis – your hair, glasses, makeup, etc.
Make sure your face takes up at least 60% of the frame. Crop your picture from the top of your shoulders to just above your head so that your face fills the frame and shows off your smile.
Choose the right expression. You want to appear warm and friendly. That way, viewers of your profile (i.e., potential collaborators, students, patients) will be able to imagine having a pleasant conversation with you.
Wear what you would wear to work. Wear clothes that match the level of dressiness at your office. Also, note that solid colors tend to do best on camera.
Choose a background that isn’t distracting. After you put all that effort into having the perfect expression, you don’t want anything to distract from your face. Keep the background simple so that you are the focal point.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Have news to share?

Duke Heart in the News:

July 29 — Matthew Moore (patient)

WJZY/Fox 46 News (Charlotte)

NC father receives new-generation artificial heart, the first in North America

http://duke.is/BrxLjX

July 30 — Karen Alexander

US News & World Report

AHA News: Dementia Can Complicate Heart Recovery and Treatment

http://duke.is/qbRsRk

July 30 — Jonathan Piccini

Medscape

Prefer Direct Oral Anticoagulants Over Aspirin After Ventricular Ablations: STROKE-VT

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/955728

August 1 — W. Schuyler Jones

Pharmacy Today

What’s the right aspirin dose for CVD patients?

http://duke.is/g5Cyvd

August 1 — Derek Chew and Duke Clinical Research Institute

Medpage Today

CABANA Paints Afib Ablation as Cost ‘Attractive’

https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/hrs/93849

August 2 — William Kraus

Medscape

Modest Calorie Cut Plus Exercise May Improve Vascular Health

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/955833

August 4 — Mary Ann Fuchs

The Business Journals

Health care employers step up DE&I efforts

http://duke.is/U4T1rn

August 4 — Derek Chew

tctMD

Catheter Ablation ‘Good Value’ in CABANA Economic Analysis

http://duke.is/M6AARW

August 5 — Adam DeVore

Medscape

Hospital Intervention Fails to Improve Heart Failure Outcomes

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/956108

August 8 — Alvin Wells (Rheumatology and Immunology)

Healio/Rheumatology

‘What we see that kills patients’: Managing cardiovascular event risk in lupus nephritis

http://duke.is/T1Ks9D

August 8 — Matthew Moore (patient)

WNCN/CBS 17 News

Heart Implant Recipient Celebrates 40th Birthday in Hospital

http://duke.is/1N5GjN

August 9 — Tracy Wang

Everyday Health

Cutting Just 250 Calories a Day and Adding 4 Days of Moderate Exercise Could Help Prevent Heart Disease

http://duke.is/r4SdqR

August 9 — Manesh Patel

WNCN CBS 17 News

Duke studying how top athletes are impacted by COVID-19 infections

http://duke.is/cuggiu

August 9 — Manesh Patel

WRAL NBC 5 News

Duke Health to study heart inflammation from COVID-19 in athletes

http://duke.is/SEk5iY

August 9 — Matthew Moore

WNCT CBS 9 News (Greenville, SC)

Duke Hospital artificial heart recipient celebrates 40th birthday as he continues recovery

http://duke.is/tXaFtb

August 10 — Duke University Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

US News: The top hospital for heart care by state

http://duke.is/wPrvrx

August 11 — Adrian Hernandez

WBTW CBS-13 News Charlotte

Activ-6 study examines medications’ effects on COVID-19

http://duke.is/KzfcHz

August 11 — Adrian Hernandez

WFXB Fox-43 News Myrtle Beach

Duke study looks at medications’ effects on COVID-19

http://duke.is/i9IkKT

August 11 — Adrian Hernandez

WUNC-FM 91.5

Researchers at Duke examine existing medications and their effects on COVID-19

http://duke.is/z131S7

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed July 30 – Aug 4, 2021

Ali-Ahmed F, Dalgaard F, Allen Lapointe NM, Kosinski AS, Blumer V, Morin DP, Sanders GD, Al-Khatib SM. Right ventricular lead location and outcomes among patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy: A meta-analysis. Prog Cardiovasc Dis May-Jun 2021;66:53-60. PM: 33864874.

Arps K, Chakravartti J, Hess CN, Rao SV. Ventricular Fibrillation Due to Aortocoronary Vein Graft Spasm During Angiography: Case Report and Literature Review. JACC Case Rep 2021 Mar 17;3(3):388-391. PM: 34317543.

Bianco HT, Povoa R, Izar MC, Luna Filho B, Moreira FT, Stefanini E, Fonseca HA, Barbosa AHP, Alves CMR, Caixeta AM, Gonçalves I, Moraes PIM, Lopes RD, Paola AAV, Almeida D, Moises VA, Fonseca FAH. Accuracy of Post-thrombolysis ST-segment Reduction as an Adequate Reperfusion Predictor in the Pharmaco-Invasive Approach. Arq Bras Cardiol 2021 Jul;117(1):15-25. PM: 34320062.

Biegus J, Zymliński R, Fudim M, Testani J, Sokolski M, Marciniak D, Ponikowska B, Guzik M, Garus M, Urban S, Ponikowski P. Spot urine sodium in acute heart failure: differences in prognostic value on admission and discharge. ESC Heart Fail 2021 Aug;8(4):2597-2602. PM: 33932273.

Califf RM. A Perspective on the K-Index. JACC Case Rep 2020 Feb 5;2(2):335-336. PM: 34317237.

Coniglio AC, Agarwal R, Schroder JN, Mentz RJ, Milano CA, DeVore AD, Patel CB. A Case for Re-Gifting. JACC Case Rep 2021 Jun 2;3(7):1010-1012. PM: 34317674.

Friede KA, Wegermann ZK, Rao SV. Navigation of a Dormant AV Fistula for PCI in a Patient With High-Risk NSTEMI. JACC Case Rep 2020 Aug 5;2(11):1671-1674. PM: 34317031.

Gold ME, Nanna MG, Doerfler SM, Schibler T, Wojdyla D, Peterson ED, Navar AM. Prevalence, treatment, and control of severe hyperlipidemia. Am J Prev Cardiol 2020 Aug 13;3:100079. PM: 34327462.

Hertz JT, Madut DB, Rubach MP, William G, Crump JA, Galson SW, Maro VP, Bloomfield GS, Limkakeng AT, Temu G, Thielman NM, Sakita FM. Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Northern Tanzania: A Modeling Approach Within a Prospective Observational Study. J Am Heart Assoc 2021 Aug 3;10(15):e021004. PM: 34320841.

Jackson LR, Jackson KP, Thomas KL. Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion: A review of current devices, clinical evidence, patient selection, and post procedural antithrombotic management. Prog Cardiovasc Dis May-Jun 2021;66:92-100. PM: 34332665.

Jorbenadze A, Fudim M, Mahfoud F, Adamson PB, Bekfani T, Wachter R, Sievert H, Ponikowski PP, Cleland JGF, Anker SD. Extra-cardiac targets in the management of cardiometabolic disease: Device-based therapies. ESC Heart Fail 2021 Aug;8(4):3327-3338. PM: 34002946.

Kamp NJ, Chery G, Kosinski AS, Desai MY, Wazni O, Schmidler GS, Patel M, Lopes RD, Morin DP, Al-Khatib SM. Risk stratification using late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Prog Cardiovasc Dis May-Jun 2021;66:10-16. PM: 33171204.

Loungani RS, Sekar S, Rehorn MR, Black-Maier E, Vemulapalli S, Shah SH, Harrison RW. Cardiac Arrest in the Setting of Diffuse Coronary Ectasia: Perspectives on a Unique Ischemic Insult. JACC Case Rep 2020 Sep 15;2(11):1662-1666. PM: 34317029.

Mehta NN, Dey AK, Maddineni R, Kraus WE, Huffman KM. GlycA measured by NMR spectroscopy is associated with disease activity and cardiovascular disease risk in chronic inflammatory diseases. Am J Prev Cardiol 2020 Nov 7;4:100120. PM: 34327480.

Mercado-Alamo A, Singh H, Rosman H, Mehta R, Lalonde T, Kaki A. Unmasking Severe Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation After Percutaneous Debulking of Large Tricuspid Vegetation. JACC Case Rep 2020 Jul 22;3(5):818-822. PM: 34317633.

Morin DP, Al-Khatib SM. Emerging topics in electrophysiology. Prog Cardiovasc Dis May-Jun 2021;66:1. PM: 34332659.

Nayor M, Shah SH, Murthy V, Shah RV. Molecular Aspects of Lifestyle and Environmental Effects in Patients With Diabetes: JACC Focus Seminar. J Am Coll Cardiol 2021 Aug 3;78(5):481-495. PM: 34325838.

Nicolau JC, Feitosa Filho GS, Petriz JL, Furtado RHM, Précoma DB, Lemke W, Lopes RD, Timerman A, Marin Neto JA, Bezerra Neto L, Gomes BFO, Santos ECL, Piegas LS, Soeiro AM, Negri AJA, Franci A, Markman Filho B, Baccaro BM, Montenegro CEL, Rochitte CE, et al. Brazilian Society of Cardiology Guidelines on Unstable Angina and Acute Myocardial Infarction without ST-Segment Elevation – 2021. Arq Bras Cardiol 2021 Jul;117(1):181-264. PM: 34320090.

Piccini JP, Carrillo RG. Attempted lead extraction in low-risk patients without surgical backup: Progress or peril? Heart Rhythm 2021 Aug;18(8):1279-1280. PM: 34023502.

Rao VN, Fudim M, Griffin A, Rymer JA, Jones WS, Koweek LMH, Smith TP, Marin D, DeVore AD. Lawn Mower Versus Left Ventricular Assist Device: A Case of Traumatic Coronary Injury. JACC Case Rep 2020 Mar 18;2(3):406-410. PM: 34317252.

Rehorn MR, Black-Maier E, Loungani R, Sen S, Sun AY, Friedman DJ, Koontz JI, Schroder JN, Milano CA, Khouri MG, Katz JN, Patel CB, Pokorney SD, Daubert JP, Piccini JP. Electrical storm in patients with left ventricular assist devices: Risk factors, incidence, and impact on survival. Heart Rhythm 2021 Aug;18(8):1263-1271. PM: 33839327.

Roth CJ, Clunie DA, Vining DJ, Berkowitz SJ, Berlin A, Bissonnette JP, Clark SD, Cornish TC, Eid M, Gaskin CM, Goel AK, Jacobs GC, Kwan D, Luviano DM, McBee MP, Miller K, Hafiz AM, Obcemea C, Parwani AV, Rotemberg V, Silver EL, Storm ES, Tcheng JE, et al. Multispecialty Enterprise Imaging Workgroup Consensus on Interactive Multimedia Reporting Current State and Road to the Future: HIMSS-SIIM Collaborative White Paper. J Digit Imaging 2021 Jun;34(3):495-522. PM: 34131793.

Sayeed S, Califf R, Green R, Wong C, Mahaffey K, Gambhir SS, Mega J, Patrick-Lake B, Frazier K, Pignone M, Hernandez A, Shah SH, Fan AC, Krüg S, Shaack T, Shore S, Spielman S, Eckstrand J, Wong CA. Return of individual research results: What do participants prefer and expect? PLoS One 2021 Jul 29;16(7):e0254153. PM: 34324495.

Shah KS, Fudim M. Stress Remains in the Eye of the Beholder. JACC Case Rep 2020 Feb 5;2(2):294-295. PM: 34317226.

Sharma A, Greene S, Vaduganathan M, Fudim M, Ambrosy AP, Sun JL, McNulty SE, Hernandez AF, Borlaug BA, Velazquez EJ, Mentz RJ, DeVore AD, Alhanti B, Margulies K, Felker GM. Growth differentiation factor-15, treatment with liraglutide, and clinical outcomes among patients with heart failure. ESC Heart Fail 2021 Aug;8(4):2608-2616. PM: 34061470.

Sharma A, Ofstad AP, Ahmad T, Zinman B, Zwiener I, Fitchett D, Wanner C, George JT, Hantel S, Desai N, Mentz RJ. Patient Phenotypes and SGLT-2 Inhibition in Type 2 Diabetes: Insights From the EMPA-REG OUTCOME Trial. JACC Heart Fail 2021 Aug;9(8):568-577. PM: 34325887.

Shen L, Jhund PS, Anand IS, Carson PE, Desai AS, Granger CB, Køber L, Komajda M, McKelvie RS, Pfeffer MA, Solomon SD, Swedberg K, Zile MR, McMurray JJV. Developing and validating models to predict sudden death and pump failure death in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. Clin Res Cardiol 2021 Aug;110(8):1234-1248. PM: 33301080.

Thomas M, Khariton Y, Fonarow GC, Arnold SV, Hill L, Nassif ME, Chan PS, Butler J, Thomas L, DeVore AD, Hernandez AF, Albert NM, Patterson JH, Williams FB, Spertus JA. Association between sacubitril/valsartan initiation and real-world health status trajectories over 18 months in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. ESC Heart Fail 2021 Aug;8(4):2670-2678. PM: 33932120.

Ugowe FE, Hellkamp AS, Wang A, Becker RC, Berkowitz SD, Breithardt G, Fox KAA, Halperin JL, Hankey GJ, Mahaffey KW, Nessel CC, Singer DE, Patel MR, Piccini JP. Pharmacotherapy for diabetes and stroke risk: Results from ROCKET AF. Heart Rhythm O2 2021 Apr 20;2(3):215-222. PM: 34337571.

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed August 5-11, 2021

Bradley SM, Kaltenbach LA, Xiang K, Amin AP, Hess PL, Maddox TM, Poulose A, Brilakis ES, Sorajja P, Ho PM, Rao SV. Trends in Use and Outcomes of Same-Day Discharge Following Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14(15):1655-1666. PM: 34353597.

Carnicelli AP, Lippmann SJ, Greene SJ, Mentz RJ, Greiner MA, Hardy NC, Hammill BG, Shen X, Yancy CW, Peterson PN, Allen LA, Fonarow GC, O’Brien EC. Sacubitril/Valsartan Initiation and Postdischarge Adherence Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure. J Card Fail 2021;27(8):826-836. PM: 34364659.

Chew DS, Mark DB. Dapagliflozin-Does Cost Make 4-Pillar Heart Failure Therapy Too Herculean a Labor for Medicine? JAMA Cardiol 2021;6(8):875-876. PM: 34037664.

Chow C, Greene SJ, North R, Blumer V, Truby LK, Alhanti B, Butler J, Ezekowitz JA, Starling RC, Mentz RJ. Sex-Differences in Cause of Death for Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure With Reduced Versus Preserved Ejection Fraction (from the ASCEND-HF Trial). Am J Cardiol 2021;154:123-126. PM: 34284862.

Guimarães PO, de Souza FR, Lopes RD, Bittar C, Cardozo FA, Caramelli B, Calderaro D, Albuquerque CP, Drager LF, Feres F, Baracioli L, Feitosa Filho G, Barbosa RR, Ribeiro HB, Ribeiro E, Alves RJ, Soeiro A, Faillace B, Figueiredo E, Damiani LP, do Val RM, Huemer N, Nicolai LG, Hajjar LA, Abizaid A, Kalil Filho R. High risk coronavirus disease 2019: The primary results of the CoronaHeart multi-center cohort study. Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2021;36:100853. PM: 34345648.

Lala A, Mentz RJ. Language Matters: Understanding Barriers to Medication Adherence to Better Tailor Heart Failure Care. J Card Fail 2021;27(8):825. PM: 34364658.

Naidu SS, Abbott JD, Bagai J, Blankenship J, Garcia S, Iqbal SN, Kaul P, Khuddus MA, Kirkwood L, Manoukian SV, Patel MR, Skelding K, Slotwiner D, Swaminathan RV, Welt FG, Kolansky DM. SCAI expert consensus update on best practices in the cardiac catheterization laboratory: This statement was endorsed by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) in April 2021. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2021;98(2):255-276. PM: 33909349.

Rizik DG, Rao SV, Stone GW, Burke RF, Hermiller JB, O’Neill WW. Re-instituting a live cardiology meeting without symptomatic COVID-19 transmission. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2021;98(2):295-296. PM: 33984174.

Romano S, Dell’atti D, Judd RM, Kim RJ, Weinsaft JW, Kim J, Heitner JF, Hahn RT, Farzaneh-Far A. Prognostic Value of Feature-Tracking Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain in Severe Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation: A Multicenter Study. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2021;14(8):1561-1568. PM: 33865769.

Sperber NR, Dong OM, Roberts MC, Dexter P, Elsey AR, Ginsburg GS, Horowitz CR, Johnson JA, Levy KD, Ong H, Peterson JF, Pollin TI, Rakhra-Burris T, Ramos MA, Skaar T, Orlando LA. Strategies to Integrate Genomic Medicine into Clinical Care: Evidence from the IGNITE Network. J Pers Med 2021;11(7):647. PM: 34357114.

Thompson PD, Baggish AL, Blaha MJ, Brawner CA, Eickhoff-Shemek JM, Hunt TN, Kraus WE. Increasing the Availability of Automated External Defibrillators at Sporting Events: A Call to Action from the American College of Sports Medicine. Curr Sports Med Rep 2021;20(8):418-419. PM: 34357888.

Truby LK, Regan JA, Giamberardino SN, Ilkayeva O, Bain J, Newgard CB, O’Connor CM, Felker GM, Kraus WE, McGarrah RW, Shah SH. Circulating long chain acylcarnitines and outcomes in diabetic heart failure: an HF-ACTION clinical trial substudy. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2021;20(1):161. PM: 34344360.

Vatterott P, De Kock A, Hammill EF, Lewis R. Strategies to increase the INGEVITY lead strength during lead extraction procedures based on laboratory bench testing. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2021;44(8):1320-1330. PM: 34184293.

Wen J, Xie M, Rowland B, Rosen JD, Sun Q, Chen J, Tapia AL, Qian H, Kowalski MH, Shan Y, Young KL, Graff M, Argos M, Avery CL, Bien SA, Buyske S, Yin J, Choquet H, Fornage M, Hodonsky CJ, Jorgenson E, Kooperberg C, Loos RJF, Liu Y, Moon JY, North KE, Rich SS, Rotter JI, Smith JA, Zhao W, Shang L, Wang T, Zhou X, Reiner AP, Raffield LM, Li Y. Transcriptome-Wide Association Study of Blood Cell Traits in African Ancestry and Hispanic/Latino Populations. Genes (Basel) 2021;12(7):1049. PM: 34356065.

Duke Heart Week ending August 1st 2021

August 1, 2021 / Leave a comment

Highlights of the week:

Blumer Named Recipient of Mario Foundation Award

Vanessa Blumer, MD, a third-year cardiology fellow, has been selected by the review committee for the Mario Family Foundation as the 2021 recipient of the Mario Family Foundation Award for her research proposal, “Predictors of Clinical and Hemodynamic Response to Intra Aortic Balloon Pump Therapy Across Cardiogenic Shock Phenotypes.”

Blumer will be awarded $35,000 for her project for the duration of one year, retroactively starting July 1.

“Vanessa continues the tradition of Duke cardiology fellows who are true triple threats, excelling not only at clinical care, but leveraging their clinical experience to ask research questions that are critical to fill our knowledge gap in,” said Tracy Wang, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology and Blumer’s primary mentor on the project. “It’s also what makes being a faculty member at Duke so special: being able to mentor such remarkable individuals and watch their career take off into the stratosphere.”

The award announcement was made earlier this week by Kathleen A. Cooney, MD, the George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Medicine and chair, Department of Medicine.

Given annually to a physician-in-training within any of the divisions in the Duke Department of Medicine, the award has been made available thanks to the generosity of the Mario Family Foundation. Ernest Mario, PhD, launched the foundation in 1997. Mario served on the Duke Board of Trustees, and was chairman of the Duke University Health System board of directors. He was named Trustee Emeritus of Duke University in 2007, and is the second longest serving trustee in the school’s history. He was awarded The University Medal in 2009, Duke’s highest recognition of service to the school.

Congratulations, Vanessa!

Rao Receives NIH/NHLBI Loan Repayment Program Award

Vishal Rao, MD, a fellow in our Advanced Training in Cardiology Fellowship program, has been selected as a recipient of the National Institutes of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH/NHLBI) Loan Repayment Program Award. His selected proposal is for a project titled “Regional Adiposity and Risk of Heart Failure and Mortality.”

The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers.

The escalating costs of advanced education and training in medicine and clinical specialties are forcing some scientists to abandon their research careers for higher-paying private industry or private practice careers. The LRPs counteract that financial pressure by repaying up to $50,000 annually of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research.

Congratulations, Vishal!

Friede Selected as AHA GPM Finalist

Kevin Friede, MD, a fellow in our Interventional Cardiology Fellowship program, has been selected by the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine (GPM) Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine as a finalist for the 2021 Genomic and Precision Medicine Early Career Investigator Award Competition.

Friede, who has completed a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship in the Duke Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, will present his abstract, “A Gene Expression Signature Reflective Of Exposure To Antiplatelet Therapy Is Associated With Bleeding” during the Genomic and Precision Medicine Early Career Investigator Award Competition session at the upcoming AHA Scientific Sessions scheduled for November 13-15, 2021, in Boston, MA.

Ashley Named Nurse Manager Operations for 6 East DMP, Effective August 2^nd

Duke Heart is pleased to announce that Ciarra Ashley, BSN, RN, PCCN will become Nurse Manager Operations for Duke University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Surgical Stepdown Unit 6 East effective Monday, August 2. Ciarra earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. Ciarra joined the Duke Heart Team in 2012 as a staff nurse on 3300 before assisting with the opening of 6 East and has served as Clinical Lead for 6 East DMP since 2018. Ciarra has held a variety of roles during her time at Duke. She has advanced the clinical ladder by becoming a CNIV and has continued to mentor other nurses throughout Duke Hospital by becoming a Clinical Ladder Advisor. She is also a member of DUHS Clinical Practice Council and has done many team building and leadership activities throughout the Heart Center. She is also active in the community through various outreach projects.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Ciarra to her new role!

Botzenhart Named Nurse Manager DUH 3100, Effective August 2^nd

Duke Heart is pleased to announce that Lindsay Botzenhart, BSN, RN, PCCN, CNIV will become Nurse Manager for Duke University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Surgical Stepdown Unit 3100 effective Monday, August 2. Lindsay earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Liberty University in 2010. Lindsay joined the Duke Heart team in 2012 as a staff nurse on 3300 and prior to that time, worked as a nurse at Duke Regional Hospital for 2 years. She has served as Clinical Lead for the DUH Cardiothoracic Surgical Stepdown Unit 3300 since 2015. During her time at Duke, Lindsay has been involved in multiple Heart Center initiatives including LVAD education and site visits and DUHS Heart Core classes. She currently serves on the Duke Health System Inpatient Nursing Improvement committee, Friends of Nursing award selection committee, and DUH based Responsiveness/Purposeful Rounding pilot group.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Lindsay to her new role!

Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program Featured in Magnify

Duke Cardiology fellow Dr. Karen Flores Rosario rounding with her team and nurses in the CICU at the DMP.

An article about the important work to increase representation and diversity in our cardiovascular disease fellowship program was published this week in Magnify, the Duke University School of Medicine’s online news magazine. Getting to the Heart of Inclusion, which features Jennifer Rymer, Anna Lisa Crowley, Pam Douglas, and Manesh Patel was written by Duke Heart’s communications director, Tracey Koepke. To read it, please visit: http://duke.is/U7XSH5

ICYMI: Ohman Guest on Heart-to-Heart

Magnus Ohman was the featured guest on Sirius-XM radio’s Heart-to-Heart program on Wednesday, July 28. Heart-to-Heart is hosted by Fred Feit, MD, professor of medicine and interventional cardiologist at NYU School of Medicine. The topic was chronic angina.

PAs Present Smartphrase Results at AAPA

Jordan Hausladen (PA-C) and Todd McVeigh (PA-C) presented a virtual poster session during the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) National Conference in May 2021. With the guidance of Drs. Andrew Wang and Manesh Patel, the pair of APPs implemented a Smartphrase into cardiology discharge summaries (and a smart-text in EPIC available to non-cardiology teams) that would allow providers to more accurately interpret and diagnose patients who have non-ischemic troponin elevations. Data were examined three months before and after intervention, showing that use of the Smartphrase successfully reduced hospital-wide and cardiology-teams’ 30-day MI readmission rates.

Congratulations, Jordan and Todd – great work!

Co-workers Celebrate Upcoming Birth

Several of our Duke Heart team members gathered recently to celebrate the upcoming birth of Baby Williams. Shown L to R: Laura Dickerson, Elizabeth Watts, Kasey Williams, Ashley Barba, and Stephanie Barnes.

REMINDER: Change Passwords to Comply with New Policy

Duke Health users and sponsored guests must update passwords as soon as possible, but will not be required to change passwords in the future – unless you want to update it or your password is compromised.

The new password policy removes the requirement to update passwords every 180 days and requires passwords to be at least 12 characters (special characters and numbers are no longer required); however, including special characters creates a stronger password. In addition, the option to update passwords using CTRL+ALT+DEL is no longer available.

Team members can update their passwords now, but will receive a notice from DHTS via email that requires passwords to be changed by a deadline. Please visit the OIT Account Self Service Portal and create a new NetID password that doesn’t expire.

Tip: If working remotely (at a non-Duke site) users should connect to the Duke Virtual Private Network (VPN) before updating passwords (see page 29 of the Technology Toolkit for more information about the VPN). Passwords can be updated without connecting to the VPN, but passwords are synced across all your Duke log-ins faster if connected to the VPN.

Visit https://security.duke.edu/news-alerts/new-password-policy to review the password policy FAQ.

Attention Omnicell Users

Due to Omnicell’s password policy, Duke Health employees that use Omnicell, with the exception of Duke Raleigh Hospital employees, must keep passwords to 15 characters or less; Duke Raleigh Hospital employees must keep passwords to a maximum of 30 characters.

We are working with Omnicell to upgrade their password policy to remove restrictions across Duke Health. Check the password policy information page for updates.

Contact the Duke Health Service Desk at (919) 684-2243 for technical support.

If you have not yet updated your passcode to fit this policy, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you!

Have news to share?

Duke Heart in the News:

July 22 — Jacob Schroder and Carmelo Milano

YouTube/RT en Espanol

Cirujanos implantan el primer corazón artificial de EE.UU

http://duke.is/znqJsd

July 23 — Christopher Granger

Medscape

CLARIFY Confirms Meds, Watchful Waiting in Angina, Stable CAD

http://duke.is/QxnJK1