Chief’s message:

 We had the Triangle Heart walk this morning with over 150 people from Duke Health joining teams from around the triangle to celebrate and raise awareness for heart disease.  This is the centennial for Duke University and the 100 year anniversary for the American Heart Association.  The event featured survivor stories, CPR training tents, a Kids Zone, and the Duke Health Tent with games and meet ups. We were lucky to have family, pets, and many of our own patients that we serve that joined us in the Heart walk.  It was esepcially rewarding to see team members across the Duke Health, from all three hospitals, from the EMS services, primary care, ED, DHTS, DCRI, and Duke Heart center all at the Heart walk.  Some photos are below to show some of the fun.  Duke Health System was one of three companies in the triangle and the only Health system that raised over 100K dollars for the AHA for this event.  Thanks to all of you who came out to walk, those of you who joined my team Duke Heart and Sole, and all of you that work everyday to improve the cardiovascular health of our community.

Triangle Heart Walk Celebrated Today

 

 

 

Highlights of the week:

ESC24:  Wearable Heart Monitor Increases Diagnosis of Irregular Heart Rhythm

Wearable, long-term continuous heart monitors helped identify 52 percent more cases of atrial fibrillation compared to usual care, but that did not lead to a reduction in hospitalizations due to stroke, according to a study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

The findings, reported Sept. 1 at the European Society of Cardiology meeting and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, provide inconclusive data about whether atrial fibrillation screening lowers stroke rates. The COVID pandemic led to an early halt of the study before fully enrolling, so it did not have enough participants to establish definitive results about stroke.

“Atrial fibrillation is often undiagnosed and can increase the risk of ischemic stroke, which is largely reversible by oral anticoagulation,” said lead author Renato Lopes, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine in cardiology and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

 “We still need definitive evidence that diagnosis of atrial fibrillation through systematic screening can lead to subsequent treatment with oral anticoagulation and therefore, lower stroke risk,” Lopes said.

The study enrolled approximately 12,000 patients in the U.S. who were at least 70 years old with no history of atrial fibrillation. Roughly half the patients were randomly assigned to receive a long-term (14 days) continuous monitoring device, and the other half usual care.

Over a median of 15 months of follow-up, the study reported a 52 percent increase in the number of cases of atrial fibrillation diagnosed among the device-wearers compared to those in usual care. There was no increase in rates of hospitalization for bleeding, and no significant reduction in the rate of hospitalizations for all stroke compared with usual care.

The study was originally designed to enroll 52,000 patients, which would have given it the power to determine whether screening reduces the number of strokes. A large study population is needed because strokes occur in a subset of patients with atrial fibrillation.

“Despite the inconclusive results, we have a lot of lessons learned that might inform future studies,” Lopes said. He said the study’s design, which enabled patients to be enrolled and screened online in a virtual format with self-applied patch devices in their homes with only remote support, could be duplicated in future studies.

In addition to Lopes, study authors include Steven J. Atlas, Alan S. Go, Steven A. Lubitz, David D. McManus, Rowena J. Dolor, Ranee Chatterjee, Michael B. Rothberg, David R. Rushlow, Lori A. Crosson, Ronald S. Aronson, Michael Patlakh, Dianne Gallup, Donna J. Mills, Emily C. O’Brien, and Daniel E. Singer.

The study received funding support from the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer Alliance.

 

Tuesday: CGR Returns

We are thrilled to announce the start of a new season of Cardiology Grand Rounds. We are kicking off this week with Dr. Andrew Grace, professor of experimental cardiology in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Grace will present Innovation, Impact and the Cardiac Rhythm  at 5 p.m. Join us in DN 2002 or via Zoom.  The event is also listed below.

 

 

 

Please Register to Vote!

Are you new to North Carolina, or have you moved to the Triangle area from elsewhere in the state? Don’t forget to register to vote!

Find all the information you need about registering to vote and voting in upcoming elections at these websites:

North Carolina State Board of Elections

Durham County Board of Elections

Orange County Board of Elections

Wake County Board of Elections 

Thank you!

 

2024 Flu Campaign

The 2024 Duke Flu Campaign launches on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Deadline for immunization compliance: October 29 at 10 a.m.

• DUHS Flu Ordering Survey Link (peer to peer)
• Access to OESO Vaccination Report: cachafeiro@duke.edu
• Questions? StopTheFlu@duke.edu

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

We’re back! Please join us for a new season of CGRs:

Sept. 10: Innovation, Impact and the Cardiac Rhythm with Dr. Andrew Grace of the University of Cambridge. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Sept. 11: EP Fellows’ Case Presentation with Nishkala Shivakumar and Mugdha Joshi. Noon, DMP 2W96.

Sept. 13: No Conference. Interview Day.

Sept. 18: HF/TX Fellows’ Case Presentation with Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 2W96.

Sept. 20: Bradyarrythmia with Sana Al-Khatib. Noon, via Zoom.

Sept. 25: No conference. Interview Day.

Sept. 27: DHP Fellows’ Case Presentation with Joshua Sink. Noon, via Zoom.

 

2024 Annual Stead Tread 5K

Join the Duke Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program on Saturday, September 21 at 9 a.m. for the annual Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk, held at Solite Park, 4704 Fayetteville Rd, Durham. All proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center dedicated to meeting the healthcare needs of medically underserved patients in Durham.

The event draws 300+ participants annually and is named in honor of former Dept. of Medicine Chairman Dr. Eugene Stead (1947-1967), and his legacy of community service and contributions to the Duke and Durham communities.

Entry Fees

For participants 13 and older, registration is $35 per person. For Lincoln patients and children 12 years and younger, registration is free.

Deadlines

Sign up by Friday, September 1 and you are guaranteed to receive a t-shirt. After September 1, t-shirt size and availability are not guaranteed.

Register and/or Donate

Visit steadtread.org to register. Can’t join us on September 21? Stead Tread also accepts individual and corporate donations of any amount (steadtread.org/donate). Contributions of $90 or greater are recognized on our website and at the event.

Questions?

For questions or additional information, contact Caroline Sloan, MD, assistant professor, Division of General Internal Medicine.

 

Catalyzing Climate Connections: Researcher Forum

Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024

Time: 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Venue: Great Hall, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education

Please register soon. Questions? Contact Blake Tedder.

The Office of Climate & Sustainability and the Climate Commitment Advisory Council invites the Duke research community to mark calendars for the Catalyzing Climate Connections Researcher Forum, a dynamic three-hour event designed to spark creativity and collaboration among Duke’s climate researchers and those interested in linking their research into the climate space. This forum will feature moderated panel conversations that explore broad climate research themes from multiple disciplinary perspectives.

Attendees will also participate in engaging table conversations, offering the opportunity for deeper discussions and networking. With refreshments provided, there will be ample time for informal interactions and idea exchanges.

Who Should Attend:

• Faculty, postdocs, and graduate students from all university schools and units
• Researchers and staff interested in expanding their research into the climate space.

Goals of the Event:

• Foster relationships and connectivity among Duke researchers.
• Inspire fresh ideas and creativity in addressing climate change.
• Spark new lines of research by emphasizing idea generation over specific expertise.
• Facilitate connections between climate and health researchers.

Why Attend?

This forum is a unique opportunity to build connections, inspire new lines of research, and effectively address the challenges of climate change. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of this exciting event!

 

New Faculty Orientation

October 22 & 23: 2024 School of Medicine Academic New Faculty Orientation, Trent Semans Center. Registration is required. Questions? Contact the SOM Office for Faculty at facdev@dm.duke.edu.

All faculty hired in the past three years are welcome to attend. While content specifically targets newer faculty, many topics apply to all faculty regardless of career stage.

 

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

The following symposia will be held this fall:

October 12: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium at Trent Semans Center, 7:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Course directors are Drs. Sreekanth Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey.

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Registration is open. Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular 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 team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

News coverage returns next weekend!