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Duke Heart Pulse April 30th 2023
Highlights of the week:
ISHLT Held in Denver
The 43rd annual meeting & scientific sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO from April 19-22.
Duke research presented included that of Carolyn Glass, Brandi Bottinger, Andrew Vekstein, Jack Haney, Matt Hartwig, Leslie Snyder, Jacob Schroder, Marat Fudim, Mark Kittipibul, Michael Carboni, Hakim Ali, Scott Palmer, Stuart Russell, M. Mendiola Pla, Elizabeth Pavlisko, Carmelo Milano, Sharon McCartney, Cameron Wolfe, Dawn Bowles, Sarah Casalinova, Chris Holley, Adam DeVore, Chet Patel, former cardiology fellow Lauren Truby, Svati Shah, and Desiree Bonadonna.
We’d especially like to congratulate cardiology fellow Mark Kittipibul for the 3 posters he presented (images shown here). Nicely done!
Great work by all!
Cotter, Maracaja Join Cardiac Anesthesiology Faculty
Two new cardiothoracic (CT) anesthesiology faculty members have joined the Duke team. In an announcement this week, Mihai Podgoreanu, MD, chief of the division of cardiac anesthesiology, formally welcomed Drs. Sarah Cotter and Luiz Maracaja as faculty members in Duke’s Department of Anesthesiology.
Cotter, who joined the faculty as an assistant professor of anesthesiology, obtained her MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She then spent several years on faculty at the University of California San Francisco prior to returning to NC.
Podgoreanu stated, “Sarah has a passion for education and we’re looking forward to her many clinical and educational contributions.”
Maracaja, who joined the faculty as an associate professor of anesthesiology, is originally from Brazil, where he obtained his medical degree and completed anesthesiology residency. He then moved to the U.S. and completed another anesthesiology residency program at the State University of New York and a CT anesthesia fellowship at Yale, followed by faculty appointments at Yale and most recently at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
Maracaja “is a clinician-innovator with expertise in 3D printing, prototyping various devices for perioperative care, and has a research interest in delivering therapeutics for lung disease,” Podgoreanu added.
Welcome, Sarah and Luiz!
Celebrating Perfusionists
Perfusion Week 2023 begins today, April 30, and continues through May 6 – it’s a time dedicated to honoring the tireless work of perfusionists around the world. Organized by the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT), Perfusion Week is an annual recognition of the positive impact that perfusionists have on the lives of our patients. This year, Perfusion Week follows on the heels of AmSECTs 61st International Conference, which annually celebrates the perfusionist profession, allows for shared knowledge and challenges, and facilitates networking among leading perfusionists from around the world.
With an increasing frequency of heart surgery and other cardiac procedures, perfusion is growing in importance in the healthcare community around the world. In the past decade, perfusion has expanded to areas of perioperative blood management, wound healing, ventricular assistance and advanced uses of extracorporeal circulation. Additionally, perfusionists and other healthcare professionals continue to show their dedication to their patients amidst the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The work of perfusionists requires great precision and concentration – and this is especially true for perfusionists at Duke. We are proud of the excellence our perfusion team demonstrates each day for our Duke Heart patients – and we recognize the incredible work they do in serving in leadership roles, on national committees, and toward advancing their field!
Honoring AAPI Team Members and Communities
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the millions of Americans with roots in the Asian continent and/or the Pacific Islands. The AAPI community is exceptionally diverse, with approximately 50 distinct ethnic groups speaking more than 100 languages and hailing from many places around the globe—including 48 countries and three territories in Asia, and 15 nations and thousands of islands in the Pacific. We join Duke Health in celebrating the contributions and achievements of our AAPI team members and communities this month and every month.
Great Catch, Greene!
Karla Greene, a physical therapist at our Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Clinic on Hillandale, recognized that a patient she was seeing for pulmonary rehabilitation had new-onset calf pain and swelling, which she escalated to the patient’s transplant coordinator. The patient underwent an ultrasound, which revealed deep-vein thrombosis, and was started on anticoagulant therapy.
Karla’s recognition of the patient’s condition change helped facilitate timely, potentially life-saving treatment.
Way to go, Karla!
Kudos to PAC, 3100 Teams!
We received a terrific note from Nishant Shah in recognition of our PAC & 3100 teams this week.
Shah wrote, “We have had an extremely busy service with over 20 patients on most days with variable geography given the renovations. Our APPs and Pharmacists this week (Monique and Alyssa (who always keeps the PAC ship afloat with her excellence) have just been outstanding! I certainly don’t know what I would have done without them. Many of these patients had very complex histories and/or complex coronary anatomy, in addition to several uncontrolled co-morbidities. Despite having high patients loads there was always attention to detail, organization, and pre-emptive care coordination that really helped move care forward for the patients. I could not have been more impressed with how awesome the PAC team was. So far, the APPs I have worked with this week are: Sas, Deborah, Nicolena, Janey, Jessyln, Michelle Lacayo, Lisa Synder, and Hannah.”
“I also wanted to send kudos to the 3100 nursing staff for going out of their way to find our team for a very sick patient as soon as they arrived. The nursing team flawlessly, confidently, and calmly assisted us in managing the patient who was having a very large active MI. I cannot be more grateful for the 3100 nursing staff.
I just wanted to share my thoughts and give credit to all the wonderful people involved on 3100.”
Excellent work, teams!!
Faculty Offer CPR Training at Local School
We learned that several of our faculty members stepped onto a different type of campus this week. Drs. Anna Lisa Chamis, Chetan Patel, Manesh Patel and Svati Shah took some time to offer CPR training at a local high school – demonstrating their teaching skills and expertise in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Such an important skill for all of us to know and share.
Thank you for doing this and great job leading by example!
Quick Reminders & Updates
- National Nursing week begins on Saturday, May 6.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
May 2: Maximizing the Slice of the Pie: Donor/Recipient Matching in 2023 with Chris Wrobel. 5 p.m. Zoom only.
2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine
The Duke Department of Medicine has announced the 2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine (LRPDIM). This award is part of a series of mentored career development opportunities offered by the Department of Medicine and is designed to fund members of groups underrepresented in medicine who, as a group, are disproportionately impacted by student loans. This financial burden impedes the retention, recruitment, and diversification of research faculty in our department.
We encourage investigators from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who are under-represented in Medicine to consider applying. The LRPDIM award repays up to $50,000, annually for up to two years, of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in research. Up to two applicants will be funded (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025). The award recipient must remain a full-time employee of the DOM to receive the full amount of the award. Award funds are not restricted and can be used at the awardee’s discretion. If the research commitment is not met, recipients must pay back the amount awarded.
The 2023 LRPDIM Award application deadline is May 12, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eligibility criteria, detailed information about the Award, and the application form are available on the DOM Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion website. For program-related questions, please contact Kimberly Dorman, Special Assistant to the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Diversity in the Chair’s Office.
Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank Meeting, June 7
The Cardiac Safety Research Consortium will hold a Think Tank meeting on June 7. The event, CSRC Think Tank: Update on Regulatory Status of Hypertension, Biomarkers and Arrhythmia Monitoring in Clinical Trials will be held at the FDA.
In Session 1, these leading industry professionals will speak on panels discussing:
- Regulations for ECG/QT
- The double-negative conundrum
- Alternative methods for assay sensitivity assessment in routine Phase 1 QT Studies
- Covid-19 and prolonged QT
In Session 2, we will discuss:
- Small increases in blood pressure and CV risk I
- Intermittent versus chronic use hypertension drugs
In Session 3, the meeting faculty will dive into:
- Biomarkers
In Session 4, the panelists will discuss hot topics in the field such as:
- Biologics/cardiomyopathy and vaccine development
- MACE
- Gene therapies
- Wearables
The event will include professionals from FDA Regulatory, Cardiac Safety Consultants, Ltd., Eli Lilly, Richmond Pharmacology, University of Connecticut, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic, Clario, Mass General, DSI, Penn Medicine, and UCSF.
There is a registration fee for attendance, for academics it is $275. Registration and more information is available here: https://cardiac-safety.org/
The meeting will be held in person; a recording of the meeting and slide presentations will become available a month after the event occurs.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
April 21 — Conrad Hodgkinson
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology
A Second Chance for a Healthy Heart
https://duke.is/nx5u6
April 25 — Jamie Diamond
HealthDay News
Hospitals Caring for Mostly Black Patients Provide Quality Heart Failure Care
https://duke.is/vhahv
*also carried by 78 additional outlets including in San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle and Salt Lake City
April 25 — Duke University Health System
Becker’s Hospital Review
49 hospitals, systems among Forbes’ best employers for diversity
https://duke.is/za8s5
April 26 — Rhonda Brandon
Becker’s Hospital Review
How Duke’s health system supports a workforce that is 60% millennial or Gen Z
https://duke.is/my53t
April 26 — Donald Glower
Medical News Today
Mitral valve repair: Minimally invasive and conventional surgery have similar outcomes
https://duke.is/89jqn
April 27 — Suresh Balu and Mark Sendak
Stat News
A research team airs the messy truth about AI in medicine — and gives hospitals a guide to fix it
https://duke.is/2fbg3
April 27 — Stephen Greene
Healio/Cardiology
Outcomes poor after HF hospitalization for patients with mildly reduced, preserved EF
https://duke.is/r6b8u
Duke Heart Pulse 4-23-23
ISHLT & Joint Meeting Held for ASCI, AAP, and APSA
Several large meetings were being held this weekend, including The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and the Joint Meeting of ASCI, AAP and APSA. We are still gathering information and illustrations from these sessions and will do a report-out on them next week, but we want to give a big shout-out to Jonathan Piccini and Gerald Bloomfield. They were both inducted as new members of ASCI this weekend – congratulations! Also, Jenn Rymer received an ASCI ‘30 in their 30s’ award, which we announced earlier this year.
We look forward to celebrating the great presentations made by our Duke colleagues!
HCLC Spring Meeting Held
The Duke Heart Center Leadership Council held its Spring meeting on Friday, April 21. Presenters included Neha Pagidipati who spoke about the Cardiometabolic Clinic, Kevin Harrison and Chad Hughes who spoke about structural heart disease and aortic disease, and Adam Williams, who presented on the Duke Heart for Honduras program and also on the research he is doing on the regeneration of heart cells.
Harrison, Shaw Named Associate Program Directors, Duke Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program
We are thrilled to share that Drs. Rob Harrison and Nishant Shah have accepted positions as
associate program directors (APD) for Duke’s cardiovascular disease fellowship program. The news was announced this week by program director, Dr. Anna Lisa Chamis. Please join us in congratulating Rob and Nishant on their new roles, which are effective immediately.
Chamis and the Duke Heart leadership team are grateful and pleased with the work that Drs. Neha Pagidipati and Rob Mentz have done as the APDs for the past five years. Chamis also thanks the members of the fellowship APD selection committee for their time and diligence.
Congratulations, Rob and Nishant!
Analysis on HF Outcomes Disparities Published in JAMA Cardiology
Congratulations to cardiology fellow Jamie Diamond and her co-authors! Their study was published this week and has been incredibly well-received by the HF research community!
Black adults with heart failure have higher population-level mortality than white adults with the same condition. Their study, published this past week in JAMA Cardiology, compared the quality of care for heart failure patients at hospitals with a high proportion of Black patients compared to those hospitals without such a population. It found that quality of heart failure care is largely similar at hospitals caring for high proportions of Black patients compared with other hospitals, though with a few remaining targets for improvement. The study suggests that this disparity in heart failure outcomes stems from inequities outside the hospital, such as at the public health level, where factors like inequitable care access and other social determinants of health come into play.
Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes for Patients With Heart Failure at Hospitals Caring for a High Proportion of Black Adults appears in JAMA Cardiology and can be accessed here: https://duke.is/p53h3
Dr. Jamie Diamond is the first author of the study and a heart failure & transplant cardiology fellow at Duke Health. She said the results point to a need to take a deeper look at root causes.
Congratulations, Jamie and team!
ICYMI: AFib, Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Findings Featured in Podcast
The Stroke Alert Podcast for April 2023 features an article recently published in Stroke, “Examining the Association Between Hospital-Documented Atrial Fibrillation and Central Retinal Artery Occlusion” by corresponding author Brian MacGrory and first author Jay B. Lusk. , an MBA. MacGrory is an associate professor in neurology and in ophthalmology at Duke; he specializes in stroke and vascular neurology. Lusk is an MD/MBA student at Duke. Additional Duke co-authors include Hussein Al-Khalidi, Emily O’Brien, Jon Piccini, Irene Song, Shakthi Unnithan, and Ying Xian.
To listen to the episode, please visit https://duke.is/gx8kq.
Launched by Stroke in 2021, the monthly Stroke Alert Podcast begins each episode by posing key takeaway questions from featured articles in the current issue of the journal. This is followed by a brief summary and analysis of these articles, as well as an interview with the author of one of these featured articles or with one of the Stroke editors.
To stream the Stroke Alert Podcast online, please visit https://strokealert.libsyn.com. To subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, visit https://www.ahajournals.org/str/podcast.
Shout-out to Agarwal & 2F/2G Team!
Richa Agarwal and our team in 2F/2G received some wonderful feedback via the Press Ganey survey system last week.
A grateful patient wrote, “The most organized and flow of services for medical treatment I have ever experienced. Everything was explained to me of where to go and what to expect. I liked the online sign-in and information available after the tests were performed. All the personal were very professional and friendly, and I love Dr. Agarwal’s personable manner.”
Great job, Richa! We’re so glad to have you on our Duke Heart team! Our 2F/2G team is amazing!
Kudos to Rendall!
We received a terrific note about Duke APP Dave Rendall this week!
“Congratulations! You are being recognized for the outstanding services you provide to our Duke patients! The PDC Patient
Relations team was made aware of the below compliment on 4/17/23 from a patient who remains anonymous referring to her positive experience with you in March of 2023. I hope you take a moment to recognize the difference you are making in the lives of those you serve. Thank you for all you do. It has been my pleasure to recognize you as a Duke Service Champion and share with our PDC leadership. Best wishes to you! — Tamara Griffin, Duke Health Private Diagnostic Clinics Integration
“David Rendall was excellent. He listened to all my concerns and health with each one of them totally. He explained so much about my condition in easy to understand language. He was patient, kind, seemed very knowledgeable and seemed to really care about my health and my understanding of what I needed to do. I appreciated the education he gave me. He did not seem rushed and was glad to make sure I was satisfied with having all my questions answered. He was great and I am so grateful for such good medical help!!!!!! He was the best!” – name withheld for privacy.
Great work, Dave! This is well-deserved!
Postponed: DCRI Research Forum with Special Guest Jon Scheyer
The Duke Clinical Research Institute has postponed the DCRI Research Forum planned for April 25, featuring a fireside chat with Duke Men’s Basketball head coach Jon Scheyer. A new date has not yet been selected. The DCRI planning team apologizes for any inconvenience and hopes you’ll plan to join the event once a new date is established.
This Week: Inaugural DOM Research Day
The Duke Department of Medicine will hold their inaugural Research Day on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the Trent Semans Center in the Great Hall from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
This event is for all departmental faculty, clinical and postdoctoral fellows, residents, medical students, and research staff. Lunch is included. For questions regarding Research Day contact Saini Pillai, MBA. A copy of the agenda can be found here.
Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD, associate professor of cardiology and a PI in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center is one of four presenters during the faculty speaker session. Rajagopal will discuss recent research from his lab that demonstrates new modes of signaling by receptors and its potential impact on drug development. Definitely something to check out!
Better Together: A Culture Campaign
Hopefully many of you were able to participate in the on-demand sessions for the new DUHS Culture Campaign, Better Together. What does it mean to become better together? It means defining our culture — who and how we want to be. We’re looking at ourselves in the mirror, keeping what we like, and intentionally setting aside the rest, and designing a new path where everyone feels heard, valued, seen, and respected. Watch this short video to learn more.
Another opportunity for participation will take place next month from May 19-25. Stay tuned for more information and links to the online survey.
Click here for a fact sheet to learn more.
Quick Reminders & Updates
- In light of the decreased community incidence of Covid-19 infections and a robust supply of PPE, DUHS has moved to Tier 1 status as of last week.
- April 23-29 is Patient Experience Week. We hope everyone can take a moment to celebrate and honor our Duke Health patients who trust us with their care. It’s also a time to reflect on the impact each of us have on Duke Health’s ability to provide exceptional care to our community and to each other. Activities, a Zoom background, and more is available here — https://duke.is/8v5pu . It’s worth checking out – please join DUHS and the PDC in working to cultivate kindness throughout the Duke Health system!
- April 24-May 1 is Transplant Nurses Week
- Wednesday, April 26 is Administrative Professionals Day
- Coming in May: National Nursing Month
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 24: Renal Sympathetic Denervation: Update on Clinical Trials and Future Steps with Dmitriy N. Feldman, Weill Cornell Medical College. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
April 25: Regulatory Guidance for Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials of Antihyperglycemic Agents: Connecting the Past with the Future with Darren K. McGuire, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center & Parkland Health and Hospital System; Deputy Editor, Circulation. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
ICYMI: Links to Recent CGRs
April 11: April 11: Jessica Duran, Multimodality Imaging in MINOCA.
Medicine LEADS
April 25: Duke Medicine LEADS with Paul Aronowitz, Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Medicine for the Department of Medicine at UC Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Aronowitz will be presenting “Clinical Images Problem Solving” with faculty discussants Drs. Nishant Shah, Eileen Maziarz, and Talal Dahhan. 12-12:45 p.m. in DMP 2W93.
New funding opportunity: Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists at Duke
The Office for Faculty Development has announced a new funding opportunity for eligible junior faculty members. A brief, no-commitment, e-mail stating your intent to apply is due May 1.
The School of Medicine Office for Faculty and Office of Physician-Scientist Development are now accepting applications for the Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists at Duke. Supported by awards from the American Heart Association, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Dean Mary Klotman, the Fund provides supplements of up to $30,000-$50,000 to clinician-scientists with significant caregiving responsibilities. Supplements are for 1 year. This application cycle is for funding from July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024.
Fund supplements are designed to address the critical challenge of working to establish research independence during periods when caregiving needs may be least flexible. Awards can be used in a variety of ways to support the applicant’s scholarly work. Possible uses of funds include:
- Research support personnel (e.g. clinical research coordinator or technician)
- Duke Office of Clinical Research (DOCR) services
- Biostatistical support
- Other “extra hands” support as proposed by the applicant
Applicants must be junior faculty (medical instructor, assistant professor, or associate professor within 1 year at that rank) with an MD, PhD, or DO degree and a primary faculty appointment in a School of Medicine department. They must have existing funding for their research, including salary support, and at least 50% protected time for research. All applicants must demonstrate a compelling need for the supplement that is related to being a caregiver. Applicants whose caregiving needs were caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to apply and state this clearly in their application. Click here for complete program information, eligibility criteria, and application instructions.
Applications are online and include 1) an application form, 2) statement of individual need rooted in caregiving responsibilities, 3) research plan, 4) biosketch, 5) proposed budget for the supplement, 6) chair/chief letter of support. Departmental contributions are expected, and the letter of support should outline any matching funds or other additional supports being provided to the applicant. Matching funds will be viewed favorably by the selection committee. Applications are due May 15, 2023.
Applicants and selected scholars will be strongly encouraged to enroll in the OPSD Scholars program led by Dr. Gbadegesin. Scholars will receive access to additional mentoring, grant writing, and executive coaching support.
Please e-mail OPSD to let us know you plan to apply. This e-mail can be very brief and is non-binding. This email with intent to apply is due May 1.
Questions? Contact OPSD@dm.duke.edu.
Deadline approaching: The Mario Family Foundation Award
Training the next generation of biomedical researchers is an important core mission of the Department of Medicine. We admit the most promising, dedicated fellows into our programs, and provide experiences that will allow them to put their passion for medicine to work. These fellows will be tomorrow’s leaders in science and medicine. The Mario Family Foundation has generously supported this mission to support junior investigators in training to make the transition to become independent scientists and planning for their first extra-mural funding.
The Department of Medicine is accepting applications from fellows in specialty training for the Mario Family Foundation Award, which funds two patient-oriented research (clinical or translational) proposals for one year of funding. The total funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.
Applications must be submitted electronically no later than Monday, May 1, 2023, 5p.m.
Applications will be peer reviewed by a panel of senior scientists from the Department of Medicine. Proposals will be judged on scientific-merit, rigor, and quality of project. Our intent is to complete reviews and start funding by July 1, 2023.
Additional details and application information can be found on the Mario Family Foundation Award webpage. For project-related questions, please contact Saini Pillai, MBA, Senior Program Coordinator, Chair’s Office.
2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine
The Duke Department of Medicine has announced the 2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine (LRPDIM). This award is part of a series of mentored career development opportunities offered by the Department of Medicine and is designed to fund members of groups underrepresented in medicine who, as a group, are disproportionately impacted by student loans. This financial burden impedes the retention, recruitment, and diversification of research faculty in our department.
We encourage investigators from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who are under-represented in Medicine to consider applying. The LRPDIM award repays up to $50,000, annually for up to two years, of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in research. Up to two applicants will be funded (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025). The award recipient must remain a full-time employee of the DOM to receive the full amount of the award. Award funds are not restricted and can be used at the awardee’s discretion. If the research commitment is not met, recipients must pay back the amount awarded.
The 2023 LRPDIM Award application deadline is May 12, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eligibility criteria, detailed information about the Award, and the application form are available on the DOM Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion website. For program-related questions, please contact Kimberly Dorman, Special Assistant to the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Diversity in the Chair’s Office.
Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank Meeting, June 7
The Cardiac Safety Research Consortium will hold a Think Tank meeting on June 7. The event, CSRC Think Tank: Update on Regulatory Status of Hypertension, Biomarkers and Arrhythmia Monitoring in Clinical Trials will be held at the FDA.
In Session 1, these leading industry professionals will speak on panels discussing:
- Regulations for ECG/QT
- The double-negative conundrum
- Alternative methods for assay sensitivity assessment in routine Phase 1 QT Studies
- Covid-19 and prolonged QT
In Session 2, we will discuss:
- Small increases in blood pressure and CV risk I
- Intermittent versus chronic use hypertension drugs
In Session 3, the meeting faculty will dive into:
- Biomarkers
In Session 4, the panelists will discuss hot topics in the field such as:
- Biologics/cardiomyopathy and vaccine development
- MACE
- Gene therapies
- Wearables
The event will include professionals from FDA Regulatory, Cardiac Safety Consultants, Ltd., Eli Lilly, Richmond Pharmacology, University of Connecticut, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic, Clario, Mass General, DSI, Penn Medicine, and UCSF.
There is a registration fee for attendance, for academics it is $275. Registration and more information is available here: https://cardiac-safety.org/
The meeting will be held in person; a recording of the meeting and slide presentations will become available a month after the event occurs.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
April 13 — William Kraus
AARP
Cómo 2 minutos de ejercicio pueden ayudarte a vivir más tiempo
https://duke.is/gzh4e
April 14 — Kathryn Pollak
Cardiovascular Business
A simple way to help cardiologists communicate with patients
https://duke.is/7jyak
April 17 — Pamela Douglas
Drugs.com
https://duke.is/mn5fw
April 19 — Manesh Patel
Time
What to Know About Damar Hamlin’s Heart Event, Commotio Cordis
https://duke.is/p84fd
April 19 — Harry Severance
Medpage Today
Suits vs Scrubs: The Evolving Healthcare Workplace
https://duke.is/4eggz
April 19 — Conrad Hodgkinson
Medical Xpress
A second chance for a healthy heart: Using cellular reprogramming to eliminate scar tissue
https://duke.is/29nc9
April 19 — Conrad Hodgkinson
News Medical Life Sciences
Mice study reveals a way to turn back the clock after heart attack
https://duke.is/gyja7
April 20 — Conrad Hodgkinson
Technology Networks
Reverting Adult Cardiac Fibroblasts to Their Neonatal Phenotype Improves Reprogramming Efficacy
https://duke.is/9umwx
April 20 — Conrad Hodgkinson
StudyFinds.org
Second chance at life: Scientists find way to make damaged hearts young again
https://duke.is/vub4w
April 20 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
https://duke.is/z33ra
April 20 — Pamela Douglas
WNCN CBS-17, Raleigh-Durham
New research shows benefit of statins for people with HIV
https://duke.is/mcfb7
*clip begins @ 16:42:00; story also carried by WBTW-TV CBS-13, Myrtle Beach
Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed March 31 – April 6, 2022
Avezum Á, Oliveira GBF, Oliveira H, Lucchetta RC, Pereira VFA, Dabarian AL, D O Vieira R, Silva DV, Kormann APM, Tognon AP, De Gasperi R, Hernandes ME, Feitosa ADM, Piscopo A, Souza AS, Miguel CH, Nogueira VO, Minelli C, Magalhães CC, Morejon KML, Bicudo et al. Hydroxychloroquine versus placebo in the treatment of non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 (COPE – Coalition V): A double-blind, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial. Lancet Reg Health Am 2022 Jul;11:100243. PM: 35378952.
Bishawi M, Lee FH, Abraham DM, Glass C, Blocker SJ, Cox DJ, Brown ZD, Rockman HA, Mao L, Slaba TC, Dewhirst MW, Truskey GA, Bowles DE. Late onset cardiovascular dysfunction in adult mice resulting from galactic cosmic ray exposure. iScience 2022 Mar 16;25(4):104086. PM: 35378858.
Coylewright M, Dodge SE, Bachour K, Hossain S, Zeitler EP, Kearing S, Douglas PS, Holmes D, Reddy VY, Nair D. Women in procedural leadership roles in cardiology: The Women In Local Leadership (WILL) observational study. Heart Rhythm 2022 Apr;19(4):623-629. PM: 34923161.
Dong OM, Poonnen PJ, Winski D, Reed SD, Vashistha V, Bates J, Kelley MJ, Voora D. Cost-Effectiveness of Tumor Genomic Profiling to Guide First-Line Targeted Therapy Selection in Patients With Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma. Value Health 2022 Apr;25(4):582-594. PM: 35365302.
Dzau VJ, Ellaissi WF, Krishnan KRR, Balatbat CA. How Academic Health Systems Can Be Ready for the Next Pandemic. Acad Med 2022 Apr 1;97(4):479-483. PM: 34966030.
Khan MS, Segar MW, Usman MS, Singh S, Greene SJ, Fonarow GC, Anker SD, Felker GM, Januzzi JL, Butler J, Pandey A. Frailty, Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy, and Outcomes in HFrEF: From the GUIDE-IT Trial. JACC Heart Fail 2022 Apr;10(4):266-275. PM: 35361446.
Martin CK, Höchsmann C, Dorling JL, Bhapkar M, Pieper CF, Racette SB, Das SK, Redman LM, Kraus WE, Ravussin E. Challenges in defining successful adherence to calorie restriction goals in humans: Results from CALERIE™ 2. Exp Gerontol 2022 Jun 1;162:111757. PM: 35240264.
Morrill J, Qirko K, Kelly J, Ambrosy A, Toro B, Smith T, Wysham N, Fudim M, Swaminathan S. A Machine Learning Methodology for Identification and Triage of Heart Failure Exacerbations. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2022 Feb;15(1):103-115. PM: 34453676.
Rao VN, Fudim M, Wang J. Beyond the Anatomy of Renal Nerves: Functional Diversity of Renal Nerves. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2022 Feb;15(1):27-28. PM: 35212975.
Tobin RS, Cosiano MF, O’Connor CM, Fiuzat M, Granger BB, Rogers JG, Tulsky JA, Steinhauser KE, Mentz RJ. Spirituality in Patients With Heart Failure. JACC Heart Fail 2022 Apr;10(4):217-226. PM: 35361439.
Vinson AJ, Singh S, Chadban S, Cherney D, Gaber O, Gill JS, Helgeson E, Herzog CA, Jardine M, Jha V, Kasiske BL, Mannon RB, Michos ED, Mottl AK, Newby K, Roy-Chaudhury P, Sawinski D, Sharif A, Sridhar VS, Tuttle KR, Vock DM, Matas A. Premature Death in Kidney Transplant Recipients: The Time for Trials is Now. J Am Soc Nephrol 2022 Apr;33(4):665-673. PM: 35292438.
Xiong X, Nazo N, Revoori R, Rajagopal S, Sparks MA. G protein- and -arrestin Signaling Profiles of Endothelin Derivatives at the Type A Endothelin Receptor. Kidney360 2021 May 17;2(7):1124-1131. PM: 35368349.
Xu H, Granger BB, Drake CD, Peterson ED, Dupre ME. Effectiveness of Telemedicine Visits in Reducing 30-Day Readmissions Among Patients With Heart Failure During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Am Heart Assoc 2022 Apr 5;11(7):e023935. PM: 35229656.
Duke Heart Pulse 4-16-2023
Highlights of the week:
REPRIEVE Study Stopped Early for Efficacy
A National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial was stopped early because a daily statin medication was found to reduce the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people living with HIV in the first large-scale clinical study to test a primary cardiovascular prevention strategy in this population. A planned interim analysis of data from the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) study found that participants who took pitavastatin calcium, a daily statin, lowered their risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 35% compared with those receiving a placebo. Adverse drug events observed in the study were like those in the general population taking statin therapy. The interim analysis was sufficiently compelling that the study’s independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) recommended it be stopped early given adequate evidence of efficacy. The NIH accepted the DSMB recommendations.
REPRIEVE began in 2015 and enrolled 7,769 volunteers who were 40 to 75 years of age, of whom more than 30% were women. REPRIEVE volunteers were all taking antiretroviral therapy, with CD4+ cell counts greater than 100 cells/mm3 of blood at enrollment, and had low-to-moderate traditional cardiovascular disease risk that would not typically be considered for statin treatment. The trial was conducted in 12 countries in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa.
The REPRIEVE study is primarily supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) with additional funding from the NIH Office of AIDS Research. The study was conducted by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG).
Decades of research and advances in HIV treatment have drastically reduced AIDS-related complications and deaths. As people with HIV live longer, premature heart disease and other chronic conditions have emerged as leading causes of morbidity and mortality, contributing to persistent gaps in lifespan between people with HIV and the broader population.
“The epidemiologic evidence is that there’s about twice the risk of heart disease in people with HIV than there are in non-infected people with the same level of traditional, normal type risk factors, said Pamela S. Douglas, MD, the Ursula Geller Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases at Duke and a co-principal investigator of the Clinical Coordinating Center. “So, there’s something else that’s contributing to their heart disease. This is a population that we would never have normally, under current practice, thought about putting on a cardiac prevention medication because we wouldn’t think of it as being effective. Initial findings showed that yes, the pills were effective in lowering LDL, so they did what they were supposed to do – but the magnitude of the benefit from the statin is twice as great as one would expect from lowering the LDL cholesterol.”
Statins are a class of medicines routinely prescribed to lower cholesterol and are known to prevent cardiovascular disease in those at risk in the general population. It was not clear if statins would have the same effect in people living with HIV and who have premature cardiovascular disease despite having low-to-moderate traditional risk. In the REPRIEVE trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of 4 mg of pitavastatin or placebo. They were monitored for major adverse cardiovascular events and adverse reactions to pitavastatin, which is considered safe for use with all prescribed antiretroviral therapy regimens.
The study’s DSMB met at planned intervals throughout the study to review safety and efficacy data. In its most recent meeting, the DSMB determined that the benefits of daily pitavastatin use outweighed any risks and recommended that the study terminate early, and that a full data collection be conducted across sites for final analysis. Study participants are being notified of the findings and will continue to be monitored for several months. Study results from the DSMB review are expected to be published in the coming weeks.
“These latest findings represent the culmination of an unprecedented eight-year effort to generate evidence that can help clinicians better support the unique cardiovascular health needs of people living with HIV,” said NHLBI Director Gary H. Gibbons, MD “REPRIEVE is important because there are limited existing interventions to help prevent adverse cardiovascular outcomes in this population.”
The REPRIEVE study was funded by a grant to the Massachusetts General Hospital and led by Steven Grinspoon, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard University, endowed chair in Neuroendocrinology and Metabolism and chief of the metabolism unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, who directed the study’s Clinical Coordinating Center. Pamela Douglas, MD, the Ursula Geller Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases in the Duke University Department of Medicine, was co-principal investigator of the Clinical Coordinating Center.
Michael T. Lu, MD, co-director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, and Heather Ribaudo, PhD, a principal research scientist at the Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research and the Department of Biostatistics at Harvard University, served as leads of the REPRIEVE study’s Data Coordinating Center. The study was conducted by the NIAID-funded ACTG. Additional implementation support was provided by the London-based NEAT ID Foundation, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Viiv Healthcare.
D’Amico Receives Surgeon of the Year Award from the TBJ
We are very excited to share that thoracic surgeon Thomas A. D’Amico, MD was awarded Surgeon of the Year by the Triangle Business Journal (TBJ). He was one of 14 honorees recognized on Thursday, April 13 during the TBJ’s 2023 Health Care Leadership Awards dinner. D’Amico, the Gary Hock Endowed Professor of Surgery and a faculty member within Duke’s Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, was one of four award winners from across Duke University Health System.
This is a very well-deserved honor. Please join us in congratulating him when you see him. Congratulations, Tommy! A link to a PDF of the news story appears below, under News.
Ross Receives AHA Career Development Award
Congratulations to Leanna Ross, a newly appointed medical instructor in the division of cardiology and a member of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute (DMPI) – she has received a Career Development Award from the American Heart Association (AHA). The three-year award, which began April 1, is for her project, “A Precision Health Approach to Target Exercise Interventions for Short- and Long-term Cardiometabolic Health Benefits”
Ross has been at Duke since 2017 when she arrived as a postdoc. Her primary mentor since then has been cardiologist William Kraus, MD, the principal investigator on the STRRIDE research clinical trials, which were seminal to the field of exercise science and to overall understanding of the effects of exercise on health.
“The STRRIDE trials were really the first of what we call dose-response exercise trials that were able to truly compare, for example, a moderate amount of aerobic exercise versus a vigorous amount of exercise, and that if you keep the amount constant, you can actually isolate the intensity effects,” Ross says as she described the background inspiration for her project. “These trials really focused on cardiometabolic health outcomes and because of these studies, we were inspired to complete 10-year observational follow-up of the participants that were originally in the STRRIDE trials. These observations are what we call the STRRIDE Reunion studies.”
The first of the Reunion studies was completed before Ross came to Duke, but she arrived in time to help in the analysis of the data and getting the first several STRRIDE Reunion papers published. Ross and the team saw that, among the Reunion participants, there were lasting cardiometabolic and fitness health effects 10 years later for those who participated in an exercise group, compared to those that didn’t do any exercise at all, that had been in the inactive control group.
“I can’t say enough about how incredible this study is, even though it might seem like the testing we’re doing is pretty simple follow-up testing and that it’s just an observational study,” Ross adds. “The interactions and the results that we’re getting from it, I think, are going to have huge implications not just for clinical purposes, but also from a public health perspective.
“Most of our nation is physically inactive, but if you can get them to exercise in their midlife for, say, a concentrated period of time and they then have lasting health effects, we may see real impacts from the individual to public health and to medical expenditure costs within the cardiometabolic disease space.”
In terms of the AHA Career Development Award, Ross says she was drawn to apply because of her recent transition from a postdoctoral position into a faculty position and thinking about ways to further her growth, as well as some early involvement in AHA committee work.
“In order to be a leading clinical trialist in my field of exercise, physiology, and cardiometabolic health, there really are so many other skills that I want to learn. One of those is developing a better appreciation for more sophisticated bioinformatics and health data science approaches that we can apply to our clinical trial data to get a better understanding of what’s truly causing exercise to have these long-lasting effects. Then, determining if we can utilize that information and distill it towards what I’m really interested in — which is can we more precisely prescribe a certain exercise intervention for a certain person with a certain health condition and maximize their probability that they’re going to see an improvement in whatever that health factor is for them?”
The career development award is the perfect avenue for her project, she says, because it allows for a mentor training plan in addition to the research plan proposal. She’ll continue to work with Kraus as her primary mentor, but is adding Constantin Aliferis, MD, PhD and Sisi Ma, PhD, of the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Health Informatics as secondary mentors. Ross describes both Aliferis and Ma as “insanely talented,” and of Kraus she says, “I don’t even know all the words that could describe how amazing he is as a mentor.”
“I am so blessed to have this award. It’s indescribable how honored and happy I feel about how this will help me hone these skills and really get my research underway.”
Ross currently serves as the chair of the Early Career Committee for the AHA’s Lifestyle Council. She gives a lot of credit to the AHA for the value they place on early career investigators.
“It’s really amazing to me how much they’re valuing early career investigators like myself and trying to get them involved in all aspects of the AHA – from research awards to moderating presentations and being a part of scientific statements – all kinds of ways that can help foster new connections and networking, and give us those opportunities that I think traditionally were reserved for more senior faculty. This has been an incredible experience for me to become involved with the AHA at such an early stage of my career.”
In thinking about her research and career goals, Ross adds that she wants even more people to understand the power and value of exercise. “It gets complicated when we think about what we call ‘exercise prescriptions’ because there are different amounts, intensities, modes, and durations of exercise programs. We are working to be able to tailor and target those a little bit better for certain people and populations. But overall, the value of exercise and physical activity can just do wonders for not only primordial and primary prevention, but also for secondary prevention.”
To learn more about the work Ross, Kraus and others on their team are doing, you can check the DMPI website for additional information. For those interested in participating or referring patients to a future study, you can learn more about what is available here: Duke Health and Exercise Research Trials.
Ross also welcomes interested parties to contact her via email if you’re interested in learning more about the work or if interested in future collaborations. Also available on the DMPI webpage, is information about the Human Physiology Testing Core section with links to an overview of the types of testing and services the team provides.
Finally, if anyone would like to check out publications from the first STRRIDE Reunion study, here are links to two of the publications: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00452 and https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.012876.
Congratulations, Leanna! We’re excited to follow the work you’re doing!
Patel Featured by AHA
As the AHA leads up to its annual National Volunteer Awards event in June, they are issuing features on each of the award winners. This past week was Manesh Patel’s turn to be highlighted – their piece, 2023 AHA Physician of the Year followed his dream of making a difference is a wonderful overview of what drives Patel in his passion for cardiovascular care.
Shout-out to Burkett!
Melissa Burkett received some terrific feedback via the Press Ganey survey system. A happy patient wrote, “Melissa is phenomenal – she is very knowledgeable and was well prepared for our session – it made the session very valuable!”
“Amazing job, Melissa – thank you!!!!!” — Jamie Hilton, Nurse Manager, Operations, Clinic 2F/2G
“Melissa is a truly amazing provider and individual. Melissa, kudos for all you do to make Duke a great place for patients, families and other staff.” — Jill Engel, Service Line VP, Duke Heart & Vascular
Great Catch, Lennon!
Zachary Lennon, ACNP, 7 West, received a Great Catch this week.
Lennon noticed that an IV anticoagulant with a very short half-life had been turned off prior to administration of the oral anticoagulant that the patient was bridging to, and immediately ensured that the IV anticoagulant was re-started. His quick action ensured that the patient remained appropriately anticoagulated, possibly preventing re-occlusion of a recently placed coronary artery stent.
“As some of you know, Zach’s actions prevented a potential repeated medication related sentinel event involving transition from cangrelor to Plavix,” wrote Kara Lyven in a note to colleagues. “Zach had to be reminded of his great catch — which demonstrates his humility and how diligent he is every day — noting that this catch was ‘just’ part of his normal every day work!”
Lynn McGugan added, “Zack is always doing a great job and this is just one instance where someone reported it! Glad he works with us in the CTICU.”
Way to go, Zack!
NDLM Spirit Week Celebrated by Cardiopulmonary Rehab Team
Members of the Duke Heart cardiopulmonary team hosted an awareness table at their clinic on Hillandale Rd. in order to celebrate Spirit Week as part of National Donate Life Month (NDLM). The team shared the Donate Life message by educating others about how signing up to become an organ donor can help save lives, and helped celebrate donor recipients in the process.
Donate Life America takes the lead on NDLM, an observance that aims to focus our national attention on the need for and importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Living Donor Day was celebrated on April 5 and the Donate Life Blue & Green Spirit Week was April 8-14.
Great job, Rehab team!!
Scheyer Featured Speaker at Upcoming DCRI Research Forum
The Duke Clinical Research Institute will hold a Research Forum on April 25, featuring a fireside chat with Duke Men’s Basketball head coach Jon Scheyer. The DCRI team is looking forward to hosting Coach Scheyer virtually to discuss his journey and the philosophy that keeps him focused on success — both his personal success and the success of his team. They will also address how his philosophy and resilience translates to healthcare and the DCRI’s approach to enhancing human health.
DCRI Research Forum: A Conversation with Duke Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jon Scheyer
Tuesday, April 25 from Noon-1 p.m. EST
Zoom Link: DCRI Research Forum
This event is open to all interested faculty, staff, and students.
Next weekend: NC Walk for Victory!
Please help Duke Heart in supporting patients with Marfan and other connective tissue disorders by supporting our efforts with the upcoming 2023 NC Walk for Victory.
The 2023 NC Walk for Victory will take place Saturday, April 22 from Noon-3 p.m. at Laurel Hills Park, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh (27612). Duke Heart is serving as the presenting sponsor, with Dr. Chad Hughes serving as the Walk’s Medical Director.
This event is held to gather patients, family members and friends who are affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions, including Marfan Syndrome, Loeys-Dietz, and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Attendees come from all over the southeast region of the U.S. to celebrate one another and to forge friendships with others going through similar experiences.
The Walk for Victory is a fun, family-friendly event that recognizes an incredible group of people and their caregivers. The Walk helps to create awareness in the community, and is one way the Marfan Foundation raises funding for much-needed research into these genetic conditions.
It is not too late to support Duke Heart’s Duke Aorta team captain Melissa Burkett! Check out Duke Aorta’s team fundraising page for The Marfan Foundation: https://give.marfan.org/team/482581). Every donation will help!
To learn more about the event or the Marfan Foundation in general, please visit: https://duke.is/pkjnw. Thank you!
Better Together: A Culture Campaign
With so much change on the horizon for Duke Health, we have a once-in-an-era opportunity to define who we are for a new chapter, taking the best of our past and adding new ways to our future to become better together. What does it mean to become better together? It means defining our culture — who and how we want to be. We’ll look at ourselves in the mirror, keep what we like, and intentionally set aside the rest, designing a new path where everyone feels heard, valued, seen, and respected. Watch this short video to learn more.
Now is the time to act by sharing what you would keep that is good and what you would change about Duke Health. You can use this link to answer questions online, 24/7 through Tuesday, April 18.
Click here for a fact sheet to learn more.
Quick Reminders & Updates
- In light of the decreased community incidence of Covid-19 infections and a robust supply of PPE, DUHS is preparing to move to Tier 1 status. Stay tuned for updates on timing.
- The Dept. of Surgery announced last week that starting tomorrow, April 17, asymptomatic perioperative patients who have not been exposed to Covid will no longer be required to have a preoperative Covid nucleic acid assay test.
- Please participate in the Better Together online questionnaire by April 18. Link above.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 18: Genetic Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Back to Bases with Karen Rosario. 5 p.m., Zoom only.
April 25: Regulatory Guidance for Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials of Antihyperglycemic Agents: Connecting the Past with the Future with Darren K. McGuire, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center & Parkland Health and Hospital System; Deputy Editor, Circulation. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
ICYMI: Links to Recent CGRs
April 4: Matt Carlisle of Duke Health presentation, Atrial Fibrillation: Contemporary Management of a Common Arrhythmia. https://duke.is/ytg6n
Final Day of Dean’s Research Series This Week
The final day of the Dean’s Research Series will be Thursday, April 20. Full schedule and details can be found at medschool.duke.edu/research-series. The Zoom link for all faculty lectures is https://bit.ly/Duke-DDRS.
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
April 28: DOM Research Day
The Duke Department of Medicine will hold their inaugural Research Day on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the Trent Semans Center in the Great Hall from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
This event is for all departmental faculty, clinical and postdoctoral fellows, residents, medical students, and research staff. Lunch is included. For questions regarding Research Day contact Saini Pillai, MBA. A copy of the agenda can be found here.
Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD, associate professor of cardiology and a PI in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center is one of four presenters during the faculty speaker session. Rajagopal will discuss recent research from his lab that demonstrates new modes of signaling by receptors and its potential impact on drug development.
Funding Opportunity: The Mario Family Foundation Award
Training the next generation of biomedical researchers is an important core mission of the Department of Medicine. We admit the most promising, dedicated fellows into our programs, and provide experiences that will allow them to put their passion for medicine to work. These fellows will be tomorrow’s leaders in science and medicine. The Mario Family Foundation has generously supported this mission to support junior investigators in training to make the transition to become independent scientists and planning for their first extra-mural funding.
The Department of Medicine is accepting applications from fellows in specialty training for the Mario Family Foundation Award, which funds two patient-oriented research (clinical or translational) proposals for one year of funding. The total funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.
Applications must be submitted electronically no later than Monday, May 1, 2023, 5p.m.
Applications will be peer reviewed by a panel of senior scientists from the Department of Medicine. Proposals will be judged on scientific-merit, rigor, and quality of project. Our intent is to complete reviews and start funding by July 1, 2023.
Additional details and application information can be found on the Mario Family Foundation Award webpage. For project-related questions, please contact Saini Pillai, MBA, Senior Program Coordinator, Chair’s Office.
2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine
The Duke Department of Medicine has announced the 2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine (LRPDIM). This award is part of a series of mentored career development opportunities offered by the Department of Medicine and is designed to fund members of groups underrepresented in medicine who, as a group, are disproportionately impacted by student loans. This financial burden impedes the retention, recruitment, and diversification of research faculty in our department.
We encourage investigators from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who are under-represented in Medicine to consider applying. The LRPDIM award repays up to $50,000, annually for up to two years, of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in research. Up to two applicants will be funded (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025). The award recipient must remain a full-time employee of the DOM to receive the full amount of the award. Award funds are not restricted and can be used at the awardee’s discretion. If the research commitment is not met, recipients must pay back the amount awarded.
The 2023 LRPDIM Award application deadline is May 12, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eligibility criteria, detailed information about the Award, and the application form are available on the DOM Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion website. For program-related questions, please contact Kimberly Dorman, Special Assistant to the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Diversity in the Chair’s Office.
1st Open BAA for innovative high-impact research proposals
ARPA-H opened its first Agency-wide Open Broad Agency Announcement (Open BAA), seeking funding proposals for research aiming to improve health outcomes across patient populations, communities, diseases, and health conditions. The BAA calls for proposals to outline breakthrough research and technological advancements.
Proposals should investigate unconventional approaches, and challenge accepted assumptions to enable leaps forward in science, technology, systems, or related capabilities. ARPA-H also encourages concepts to advance the objectives of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, as well as more disease-agnostic approaches.
For questions, please contact baaquestions@arpa-h.gov.
Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank Meeting, June 7
The Cardiac Safety Research Consortium will hold a Think Tank meeting on June 7. The event, CSRC Think Tank: Update on Regulatory Status of Hypertension, Biomarkers and Arrhythmia Monitoring in Clinical Trials will be held at the FDA.
In Session 1, these leading industry professionals will speak on panels discussing:
- Regulations for ECG/QT
- The double-negative conundrum
- Alternative methods for assay sensitivity assessment in routine Phase 1 QT Studies
- Covid-19 and prolonged QT
In Session 2, we will discuss:
- Small increases in blood pressure and CV risk I
- Intermittent versus chronic use hypertension drugs
In Session 3, the meeting faculty will dive into:
- Biomarkers
In Session 4, the panelists will discuss hot topics in the field such as:
- Biologics/cardiomyopathy and vaccine development
- MACE
- Gene therapies
- Wearables
The event will include professionals from FDA Regulatory, Cardiac Safety Consultants, Ltd., Eli Lilly, Richmond Pharmacology, University of Connecticut, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic, Clario, Mass General, DSI, Penn Medicine, and UCSF.
There is a registration fee for attendance, for academics it is $275. Registration and more information is available here: https://cardiac-safety.org/
The meeting will be held in person; a recording of the meeting and slide presentations will become available a month after the event occurs.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
April 6 — Joseph Lerman
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology
https://duke.is/p9x5k
April 9 — Neha Pagidipati
Health Digest
Weight Loss Can Be Heart Healthy Even If Some Pounds Return
https://duke.is/4qnme
April 10 — Allison Dimsdale
Healthleaders
The Exec: Advanced practice providers key to managing physician shortages
https://duke.is/zj7qq
April 10 — Michael Pencina
The Evolving Enterprise
Coalition for Health AI unveils Blueprint for Trustworthy AI in healthcare
https://duke.is/msrhm
April 11 — Duke University (Geoff Ginsburg)
NC Health News
https://duke.is/rrxxm
April 11 — Pamela Douglas
NIH News
https://duke.is/vnmfa
April 13 — Thomas D’Amico
Triangle Business Journal
2023 Health Care Leadership Awards: Dr. Thomas D’Amico – Duke Thoracic Surgery
https://duke.box.com/s/xfjh6pqxr21w1y6to2b5vnhhtagnpx3t
(link is to a PDF)
April 13 — David H. Noyd (adjunct pediatrics)
Healio/Cardiology
CV risk factor disparities in childhood cancer survivors similar to general population
https://duke.is/jtn4u
April 13 — Christopher Granger
Medpage Today
Standard-Dose DOAC Better for Kidney-Impaired Patients
https://duke.is/yuhvj
Duke Heart Pulse – April 9th 2023
Chief’s message:
Happy Easter and Holy Season:
Despite the heavy rains and cold winds in Durham over the last few days, today morning saw sunshine and green everywhere as spring is upon us. Today’s beautiful weather and bright sky with clear views of our area highlight the spring renewal. Whether you are celebrating Easter, Ramadan, or Passover, these holy days carry symbolic resonance. The arrival of Spring with budding flowers, green cover, and trees starting to blossom in concert with these days make us optimistic and hopeful for a future of peace, forgiveness, love and health for our communities and families. Having been on call this weekend, it is also a time to again recognize the tremendous efforts of our staff, nurses, physicians’ assistants, fellows, residents, and faculty in caring for our patients and each other. Wishing you time with your family and loved ones.
Highlights of the week:
Study Examines Reluctance of Black Patients to Get Defibrillators
Black patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest have historically been less likely to receive potentially life-saving implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) than white patients.
The reasons for this inequity are multifactorial and include a higher rate of refusal to have the implant among Black patients.
To address this reluctance, Duke Health researchers developed a video-based decision aid for Black patients. The intervention was tested in a randomized clinical trial, with results appearing online April 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Study investigators — including lead author Kevin Thomas, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology and vice dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Duke University School of Medicine — found that while increasing patient knowledge, the video did not increase the number of Black patients choosing to pursue ICD implantation.
Thomas and colleagues found that approximately 60% of study participants chose to undergo ICD implantation and the video tool performed no better or worse than the usual patient education provided by the physician and care team in the clinical setting.
The study also aimed to assess whether the racial identities of the video participants would increase the likelihood that Black patients at risk for cardiac arrest would opt for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
One video decision aid featured a Black physician and testimonials from Black patients; a second video had a white clinician and white patient testimonials. The video tool featuring Black physicians and patients led to outcomes that were the same as a video featuring white physicians and patients.
The findings highlight a need for additional understanding of the factors Black patients consider in medical decision-making along racial lines and other contributors to racial inequities in ICD implantation.
Thomas said biomedical research often focuses on describing health inequities, rather than probing the reasons for the inequity and devising interventions to address the inequity and testing them in a methodologically rigorous way.
“There are so many things that could contribute to a person’s decision about a procedure to implant a medical device, and many of those are cultural,” Thomas said. “One question to ask is how a patient feels about their quality of life rather than longevity.
“Furthermore, I’ve had patients say, ‘I don’t want something inside my body, I just don’t,’” Thomas said. “And so, the question becomes, do those personal values that influence preferences differ by race and culture.”
Beyond the findings, Thomas said the existence of the study itself is significant. It included 343 Black participants, and of those who were approached for the study, 80% said yes to enrolling.
“This is evidence to support that one of the biggest reasons that we don’t have more diversity in clinical trials is that we don’t ask people of color to participate,” Thomas said. “If you ask, they’re going to be more likely to participate.”
While he said he was surprised by the result, he said the study is a model for a more relevant approach and points to a need for continued research that seeks to understand the complex interplay of how social determinants of health and cultural influences drive medical decision-making and health outcomes.
In addition to Thomas, study authors include Sana M. Al-Khatib; Andrzej S. Kosinski; Samuel F. Sears, Jr.; Nancy M. Allen LaPointe; Larry R. Jackson II; Daniel D. Matlock; Daniel Haithcock; B. Judson Colley III; David S. Hirsh; and Eric D. Peterson.
The study was funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (AD-1503-29746).
Jennifer Rymer to be Associate Program Director for Interventional Cardiology Fellowship:
We are excited to announce that Jenn Rymer has been selected to support our Cath Lab faculty in
the training of our interventional fellows as the Associate Program Director for the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship. Jenn finished her interventional fellowship 3 years ago and since then has done amazing work in the field of interventional cardiology. In three short years she has won the Women as One escalator award given to select international interventional faculty, she was the recipient of the TCT 2022 Thomas J. Linnemeier “Spirit of Interventional Cardiology” Young Investigator Award, and she has been the named as one of the SCAI 30 in their 30’s in interventional cardiology. Jenn has done all of this while working tirelessly to include, educate, and mentor our general cardiology and interventional cardiology fellows, with an emphasis of understanding and caring for patients with vascular disease. In this opportunity, she will play an important role in helping us continue to improve our interventional fellowship including the didactic, skills based, and critical decision-making components. Additionally, she will work to continue to help mentor our fellows in research work across the division. “Jenn is clearly a rising star in interventional cardiology, and we are excited to have her take a larger role in the fellowship program. She will continue to educate our fellows, ensure we continue to innovate, and focus on ways to make our interventional fellows the future leaders in the field”, said Schuyler Jones, Cath Lab Director and Program Director for Interventional fellowship. Please congratulate Jenn when you see her.
Reminder! Relocation of DN 7100 Scheduled for Friday, April 14
The Duke North 100 tower is in the process of being renovated. Unit 7100 will be relocated to Duke North 2200 (16 bed unit) and 3200 (16 bed unit) on Friday, April 14, 2023. These units were specially selected for several reasons. First, their close proximity to each other and to other Heart units; second, the provision of 32 beds for Cardiology patients, and finally, it being move-in ready after recent renovations were completed. Eight Emergency Department admit-hold patients relocated from 2200 to 7201-7208 on April 7.
There will be no change in the patient population cared for on Units 2200/3200. We expect to feature photos showcasing the move in an upcoming issue of Pulse.
Lerman Named 2023-2024 Chief Fellow, Cardiology
Congratulations to Joe Lerman, MD – a fellow in our Cardiology training program. He has been named Chief Cardiology Fellow for 2023-2024. The news was announced by cardiology fellowship program director, Anna Lisa Chamis, MD, on Friday.
Lerman was born in Chicago, IL, and is one of five siblings. He obtained a BA in Political Science from Brown University. He then spent one year in Peru on a global health fellowship, prior to attending the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. During medical school, he received an NIH Medical Research Scholars’ Fellowship and spent one year at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Joe and his wife, Dr. Eliana Saltzman (Orthopedics), couples matched to Duke in 2017. Joe is currently a T32 Research Fellow at the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) and will begin his Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship in 2024.
In his spare time, Joe enjoys being with his family, chasing after his daughter, Natalie (2 years old), traveling, riding his bike, and hanging out with his amazing co-fellows.
Lerman will onboard with outgoing chief fellow, Chris Wrobel, MD, through May 31. His term will officially begin on June 1.
Congratulations, Joe!
Today: Happy Birthday, Dr. Chen!
On behalf of the entire Duke Heart team, we wish Dr. Edward P. Chen a very happy birthday. Hope you’re having a wonderful birthday weekend, Ed!
Better Together: A Culture Campaign
With so much change on the horizon for Duke Health, we have a once-in-an-era opportunity to define who we are for a new chapter, taking the best of our past and adding new ways to our future to become better together. What does it mean to become better together? It means defining our culture — who and how we want to be. We’ll look at ourselves in the mirror, keep what we like, and intentionally set aside the rest, designing a new path where everyone feels heard, valued, seen, and respected. Watch this short video to learn more.
Now is the time to act by joining an online 30-minute listening session during your working hours to share what you would keep that is good and what you would change about Duke Health. We have flexible options for non-traditional schedules. Click here to learn more.
Klotman Announces Inaugural Dean’s Staff Awards
Dr. Mary Klotman this week announced the inaugural Dean’s Staff Awards for the Duke School of Medicine. The Dean’s Staff Awards will be awarded annually to recognize exemplary staff supporting the School of Medicine’s mission and values.
“Our staff are the heart and soul of the School of Medicine,” Klotman says. “I look forward to this opportunity to celebrate their distinctive contributions.”
The Dean’s Staff Awards will be presented in four categories:
- Dean’s Excellence Staff Award, recognizing a staff member who consistently demonstrates excellence in one or more of the following areas: education, research, patient care, or community partnership.
- Professionalism and Integrity Staff Award, recognizing a staff member who demonstrates professionalism and integrity in all aspects of performance and effort.
- Champion of Inclusion Staff Award, recognizing a staff member who demonstrates exemplary leadership toward inclusive excellence and exhibits a high level of respect and service to others.
- Valued Service Staff Award, recognizing a staff member who has positively enhanced the lives of others within the School of Medicine, working behind the scenes with an enthusiastic attitude in whatever capacity is necessary.
Klotman asks that you consider recognizing your outstanding colleagues by completing the brief nomination form.
Anyone can submit a nomination, and any staff member who works at the School of Medicine, or whose work materially contributes to the School of Medicine, may be nominated. Awards committees will review all nominations, and Dr. Klotman will selecting the recipients.
Nomination deadline is April 21, 2023.
More information, eligibility requirements, and the nomination form are available at https://medschool.duke.edu/staff-awards.
Algorithm for Family Presence During Resuscitation Published
Callie Tennyson, DNP, an acute care nurse practitioner with Duke Heart and an assistant professor with Duke University School of Nursing, along with Duke colleagues John P. Oliver, DMin, and Karen Roussel Jooste, MD, MPH, have a manuscript, “Developing a Decision Pathway for Family Presence During Resuscitation,” appearing in the current issue of Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing (May/June 2023).
Tennyson, Oliver, and Roussel Jooste formed an interdisciplinary work group (NP, MD, and Chaplain) and have spent the past four years developing and implementing this model of care within Duke Heart Center. The team participated in the Interprofessional Education Advanced Certificate Program in 2021 offered by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) and Duke AHEAD (Academy for Health Professions Education and Academic Development) in order to advance this work.
“We are working to share our experience and provide adaptable tools for other clinicians wanting to improve their patient- and family-centered care during cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” says Tennyson. “This work has led to international interest and consultation.”
To read the decision-pathway journal article, click here. To connect with the team, please reach out to Callie Tennyson via email.
Kudos To Senman!
A big shout-out to cardiology fellow Balim Senman, MD, for the incredible work she put into planning and executing the Duke CICU Hemodynamics Bootcamp held last week.
Senman organized, acquiring funding, managed publicity, and ultimately ran the Bootcamp to rave reviews! She included cardiology fellows from both Duke and UNC, APPs, residents, and others.
“I promise you – as the faculty advisor for this – it was a Herculean effort,” said Jason Katz, MD, co-director of the Duke CICU. “She did this purely to enhance education and did so with money she received in grant funding. We received great feedback from her colleagues across both institutions – which should make us all smile! I’d love to see more opportunities for these joint efforts.”
UNC cardiology fellowship program director Lisa Rose-Jones, MD, concurred.
“Congratulations to Balim on this HUGE success!! I know you put a tremendous amount of time and effort into planning and executing this,” added Rose-Jones. “My fellows raved about it. Thanks for including us and I look forward to more trainee collaboration.”
Way to go, Balim!
Kudos to Klapper!
Lisa Clark Pickett, MD, shared a patient compliment for Jacob Klapper, MD, thoracic surgeon, with us from the Patient Satisfaction Survey – she wrote:
“Good Afternoon, Jacob. While reading comments on our Patient Satisfaction Survey, I was so pleased to see another lovely compliment about you and your team!!! Thank you for the dedication, excellence, and compassion you demonstrate every day.” – Lisa
The patient had submitted the following:
“The nurses were AWESOME. All staff was very kind and professional! Dr. Klapper & staff are the BEST!” – Name withheld for privacy
“Dr. Klapper is one of the hardest working surgeons in our division and the care he provides to our patients is simply outstanding.” – Edward P. Chen, chief, division of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
Great work, Jacob!
Shout-out to DeMuro and Davis!
Jill Engel shared with us a terrific note she received from the friend of a recent Duke Heart patient.
“I want to give a huge shout-out to Terri DeMuro and Ashlee Davis in the echo lab for going way out of their way to help my friend out on Monday.
I brought a friend to Duke South for a pre-op cards consult with Carolyn Lekavich prior to her TKR. She ended up needing an echo, which was scheduled for the next day, which would have been very difficult for her to travel back to Duke.
So, as a former colleague, I called Terri to see if she could help. Like most Duke employees, they both went out of their way to smooth the path for my friend, for which I am so very grateful.
In this world of hearing so much negative feedback, I felt it important to give Terri and Ashlee credit for what they did for the patient, and for me. Carolyn deserves a big thanks, too!” — Name withheld for privacy
“Kudos to both of you for supporting a preop patient in expediting their cardiac workup! It is team members and leaders like both of you who make Duke the great place it is for our patients, families and teams!” — Jill Engel, DNP, Service Line Vice President – Heart & Vascular
Nicely done, Terri & Ashlee!
This Week: NDLM Spirit Week
Donate Life America takes the lead on National Donate Life Month (NDLM), an observance that aims to focus our national attention on the need for and importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Living Donor Day was celebrated on April 5 and the Donate Life Blue & Green Spirit Week is this week, April 8-14.
Members of the Duke Heart cardiopulmonary team will host an awareness table outside of their clinic on Hillandale Rd. to share the Donate Life message by educating others about how their generosity can help save lives. Their table will be available April 10-14 (on Tues., Wed., and Friday only) from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Please consider stopping by to say hello – our team will celebrate the lifesaving generosity of those who sign on as potential donors, as well as living donors, and will ultimately help others learn more about organ donation.
Scheyer is the Featured Guest at Upcoming DCRI Research Forum
The Duke Clinical Research Institute will hold a Research Forum on April 25, featuring a fireside chat with Duke Men’s Basketball head coach Jon Scheyer. The DCRI team is looking forward to hosting Coach Scheyer virtually to discuss his journey and the philosophy that keeps him focused on success — both his personal success and the success of his team. They will also address how his philosophy and resilience translates to healthcare and the DCRI’s approach to enhancing human health.
DCRI Research Forum: A Conversation with Duke Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jon Scheyer
Tuesday, April 25 from 9-10 a.m. EST
Zoom Link: DCRI Research Forum
This event is open to all interested faculty, staff, and students.
Support Marfan Patients & Duke Heart!
Please help Duke Heart in supporting patients with Marfan and other connective tissue disorders by supporting our efforts with the upcoming 2023 NC Walk for Victory.
The 2023 NC Walk for Victory is planned for Saturday, April 22 from Noon-3 p.m. at Laurel Hills Park, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh (27612). Duke Heart is serving as the presenting sponsor, with Dr. Chad Hughes serving as the Walk’s Medical Director.
This event is held to gather patients, family members and friends who are affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions, including Marfan Syndrome, Loeys-Dietz, and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Attendees come from all over the southeast region of the U.S. to celebrate one another and to forge friendships with others going through similar experiences.
The Walk for Victory is a fun, family-friendly event that recognizes an incredible group of people and their caregivers. The Walk helps to create awareness in the community, and is one way the Marfan Foundation raises funding for much-needed research into these genetic conditions.
Please consider supporting any of the walkers/teams — maybe throw your support behind Duke Aorta and our team captain Melissa Burkett! Check out Duke Aorta’s team fundraising page for The Marfan Foundation: https://give.marfan.org/team/482581) or behind Team James (“giving hugs and raising awareness since 2018!”). Even small contributions will help!
To learn more about the event or the Marfan Foundation in general, please visit: https://duke.is/pkjnw. Thank you!
Quick Reminders & Updates
- 7100 relocates on Friday, April 14!
- 2022 DCRI Impact Report Now Available
- New funding opportunity for fellows! See Mario Family Foundation Award announcement under Opportunities, below. Deadline to apply is May 1.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 11: Multimodality Imaging in MINOCA with Jessica Duran. 5 p.m., Zoom only.
April 18: Genetic Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Back to Bases with Karen Rosario. 5 p.m., Zoom only.
April 25: Regulatory Guidance for Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials of Antihyperglycemic Agents: Connecting the Past with the Future with Darren K. McGuire, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center & Parkland Health and Hospital System; Deputy Editor, Circulation. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
ICYMI: Links to Recent CGRs
March 28: Gregory Roth, director of the Program in Cardiovascular Health Metrics and associate professor of medicine in cardiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, The Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risks. https://duke.is/2j4hy.
April 4: Matt Carlisle of Duke Health presentation, Atrial Fibrillation: Contemporary Management of a Common Arrhythmia. https://duke.is/ytg6n
Margolis Scholar Hybrid Event
The 2023 Margolis Scholar Presents event, Coordinating Health, Not Just Health Care: Engaging North Carolina Communities to Promote Social Drivers of Health will take place on Friday, April 14, from Noon – 1 p.m. via Zoom and in-person at the Sanford Rhodes Conference Room (Sanford 223).
Organized by the Duke-Margolis Scholars, this special event will bring experts together to discuss how to leverage community partnerships and health care coordination efforts to better address challenges around social determinants of health—locally and nationally. Guest speakers include: Sarah Allin, MPP, North Carolina Integrated Care for Kids (NC InCK) and Erik Valera, El Centro Hispano.
For more event information and to register, please visit: https://duke.is/vrh53.
Duke Root Causes Fundraising Gala
We are pleased to invite the Duke Heart team to the first annual Root Causes Fundraising Gala on Friday, April 14th from 7-9 p.m. at Trent Semans Center for Health Education.
Root Causes is an innovation hub for student-led interventions addressing social drivers of health. Our programs provide food to patients who are experiencing food insecurity, support patients experiencing homelessness in their housing journeys, and provide patients with metabolic diseases access to free exercise programs (among many other things we do!)
The event will feature dinner, drinks, a silent auction, and talks from special guests:
- Debra Clark Jones, Associate Vice President for Community Health for Duke Health
- Jeff Baker, Pediatrician and Medical Historian focusing on history, race and health disparities
- Susan Spratt, Endocrinologist and Clinical Researcher focusing on health disparities and ethical use of electronic medical records
The gala will bring together students, community members, and various stakeholders across Duke and the city of Durham to raise funds for our work, to highlight the ongoing work of our community partners in addressing social determinants of health, and to describe a collective vision for what uplifting our neighbors in Durham might look like.
We hope you consider supporting us by attending in person or making a donation online! Thank you in advance for your consideration, and feel free to forward this message to others who might be interested in the event.
Tickets are required and range from $30-55.
2023 Dean’s Research Series
The final date of the Dean’s Research Series will be Thursday, April 20. Full schedule and details can be found at medschool.duke.edu/research-series. The Zoom link for all faculty lectures is https://bit.ly/Duke-DDRS.
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
April 28: DOM Research Day
The Duke Department of Medicine will hold their inaugural Research Day on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the Trent Semans Center in the Great Hall from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
This event is for all departmental faculty, clinical and postdoctoral fellows, residents, medical students, and research staff. Lunch is included. For questions regarding Research Day contact Saini Pillai, MBA. A copy of the agenda can be found here.
Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD, associate professor of cardiology and a PI in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center is one of four presenters during the faculty speaker session. Rajagopal will discuss recent research from his lab that demonstrates new modes of signaling by receptors and its potential impact on drug development.
Registration is required — deadline extended to April 14. To register: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Go7ON7eqK4WhMy.
Funding Opportunity: The Mario Family Foundation Award
Training the next generation of biomedical researchers is an important core mission of the Department of Medicine. We admit the most promising, dedicated fellows into our programs, and provide experiences that will allow them to put their passion for medicine to work. These fellows will be tomorrow’s leaders in science and medicine. The Mario Family Foundation has generously supported this mission to support junior investigators in training to make the transition to become independent scientists and planning for their first extra-mural funding.
The Department of Medicine is accepting applications from fellows in specialty training for the Mario Family Foundation Award, which funds two patient-oriented research (clinical or translational) proposals for one year of funding. The total funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.
Applications must be submitted electronically no later than Monday, May 1, 2023, 5p.m.
Applications will be peer reviewed by a panel of senior scientists from the Department of Medicine. Proposals will be judged on scientific-merit, rigor, and quality of project. Our intent is to complete reviews and start funding by July 1, 2023.
Additional details and application information can be found on the Mario Family Foundation Award webpage. For project-related questions, please contact Saini Pillai, MBA, Senior Program Coordinator, Chair’s Office.
2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine
The Duke Department of Medicine has announced the 2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine (LRPDIM). This award is part of a series of mentored career development opportunities offered by the Department of Medicine and is designed to fund members of groups underrepresented in medicine who, as a group, are disproportionately impacted by student loans. This financial burden impedes the retention, recruitment, and diversification of research faculty in our department.
We encourage investigators from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who are under-represented in Medicine to consider applying. The LRPDIM award repays up to $50,000, annually for up to two years, of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in research. Up to two applicants will be funded (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025). The award recipient must remain a full-time employee of the DOM to receive the full amount of the award. Award funds are not restricted and can be used at the awardee’s discretion. If the research commitment is not met, recipients must pay back the amount awarded.
The 2023 LRPDIM Award application deadline is May 12, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eligibility criteria, detailed information about the Award, and the application form are available on the DOM Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion website. For program-related questions, please contact Kimberly Dorman, Special Assistant to the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Diversity in the Chair’s Office.
1st Open BAA for innovative high-impact research proposals
ARPA-H opened its first Agency-wide Open Broad Agency Announcement (Open BAA), seeking funding proposals for research aiming to improve health outcomes across patient populations, communities, diseases, and health conditions. The BAA calls for proposals to outline breakthrough research and technological advancements.
Proposals should investigate unconventional approaches, and challenge accepted assumptions to enable leaps forward in science, technology, systems, or related capabilities. ARPA-H also encourages concepts to advance the objectives of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, as well as more disease-agnostic approaches.
For questions, please contact baaquestions@arpa-h.gov.
Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank Meeting, June 7
The Cardiac Safety Research Consortium will hold a Think Tank meeting on June 7. The event, CSRC Think Tank: Update on Regulatory Status of Hypertension, Biomarkers and Arrhythmia Monitoring in Clinical Trials will be held at the FDA.
In Session 1, these leading industry professionals will speak on panels discussing:
- Regulations for ECG/QT
- The double-negative conundrum
- Alternative methods for assay sensitivity assessment in routine Phase 1 QT Studies
- Covid-19 and prolonged QT
In Session 2, we will discuss:
- Small increases in blood pressure and CV risk I
- Intermittent versus chronic use hypertension drugs
In Session 3, the meeting faculty will dive into:
- Biomarkers
In Session 4, the panelists will discuss hot topics in the field such as:
- Biologics/cardiomyopathy and vaccine development
- MACE
- Gene therapies
- Wearables
The event will include professionals from FDA Regulatory, Cardiac Safety Consultants, Ltd., Eli Lilly, Richmond Pharmacology, University of Connecticut, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic, Clario, Mass General, DSI, Penn Medicine, and UCSF.
There is a registration fee for attendance, for academics it is $275. Registration and more information is available here: https://cardiac-safety.org/
The meeting will be held in person; a recording of the meeting and slide presentations will become available a month after the event occurs.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
March 30 — Neha Pagidipati and Vishal Rao
Zee News (India)
Weight Loss Decreases Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes: Study
https://duke.is/m8rhd
March 30 — Andrew Landstrom
Medical Dialogues
https://duke.is/8pxsf
March 31 — Andrew Landstrom
News Concerns
Genetic Tests Unexpectedly Find Genes Linked To Heart Disease — Now What? — ScienceDaily
https://duke.is/2un2x
March 31 — Andrew Landstrom
Technology Networks
How To Interpret Incidentally Found Gene Variants
https://duke.is/g3h46
March 31 — Neha Pagidipati
tctMD
Regaining Weight Won’t Erode CV Risk Factor Benefits Short Term
https://duke.is/rjgyk
April 2 — Duke Health (Monique Starks)
WJZY, Fox-46 Charlotte
Pilot project could deliver AEDs by drone
https://duke.is/54mw2
(*clip begins @ 08:36:00)
April 3 — Kevin Thomas
HealthDay News
Video-Based Tool Increases Knowledge for Black Patients Eligible for ICD
https://duke.is/nggea
April 3 — Harry Severance
Becker’s ASC Review
Here’s where physicians are investing in 2023
https://duke.is/b5mtq
April 4 — Andrew Landstrom
thirdage.com
Genetic Testing And Heart Disease
https://duke.is/cqrvu
April 4 — Andrew Landstrom
Becker’s Hospital Review
AHA releases guidelines on interpreting gene variants related to cardiovascular disease
https://duke.is/9nxbj
April 5 — Sean Pokorney
Medpage Today
Timing of Pacemaker, ICD Infections Suggests Closer Wound Checks for Some
https://duke.is/6zhke
April 5 — Neha Pagidipati
Healio/Cardiology
Coordinated care can improve prescribing practices of recommended diabetes, CVD therapies
https://duke.is/ps4fm
April 5 — Kevin Thomas
Healio/Primary Care
Decision support tool does not improve Black patients’ assent to receive cardiac device
https://duke.is/jdumt
Duke Heart April 2nd 2023
Highlights of the week:
Al-Khatib to become President of HRS in 2026
We are pleased to share that Sana Al-Khatib, MD, MHS will become the President of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) in 2026 after serving terms as Second Vice-President (which she begins in May), and then as the Society’s First Vice-President and President-Elect over the coming years. Sana has been a dedicated volunteer with the Heart Rhythm Society since 2005 and is currently the Society’s Secretary/Treasurer.
HRS is the international leader in science, education and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and patients. Its mission is to improve the care of patients by promoting research, education, and optimal health care policies and standards. The Society represents 7500 specialists in cardiac pacing and electrophysiology, consisting of physicians, scientists, and allied professionals. In the US, the HRS represents 3600 board-certified electrophysiologists.
“Serving the Heart Rhythm Society has been an amazing journey during which I have worked with inspiring clinicians, scientists, and staff, and have formed lifelong friendships and collaborations,” said Al-Khatib. “None of this would have been possible without the great support I have received from my Duke family. I am indebted to all of my mentors and supporters both within and outside of Duke.
“I am truly humbled by this recognition and greatly look forward to making a difference in this role for patients, our field, and the next generations of electrophysiologists.”
Congratulations, Sana!
Rymer to Receive SCAI’s 30 in Their 30s Award
Congratulations to Jenn Rymer, MD – she has been selected by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) as one of their 30 in Their 30s award winners! The SCAI 30 in Their 30s award recognizes early-career interventionalists who epitomize the qualities expected of future leaders in interventional cardiology.
Rymer and her co-winners will be recognized during SCAI’s 2023 Scientific Sessions scheduled for May 18-20, 2023 in Phoenix.
Congratulations, Jenn!
Duke Raleigh Earns GWTG Bronze Award, Target HF Honor Roll
Congratulations to our team at Duke Raleigh Hospital — they have achieved the 2022 Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure Bronze award level and the Target HF Honor Roll!
The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) program is an in-hospital approach to improving patient outcomes across the cardiovascular and stroke care areas. Each GWTG program promotes consistent adherence to the latest research-driven guidelines and measurement, while also providing data for continual improvement in patient care.
“We know a lot of work has been done over the years with improving the care for our heart failure patients and it shows! Great work, and we look forward to continuing to learn being a part of the Get With The Guidelines program. Thanks for all you do.” — Julie Yamadi, director of Heart Services, Duke Raleigh
“Kudos to the entire DRAH team. This is such important and amazing work and service for the patients in Wake County. I look forward to continuing to partner and celebrate all of your tremendous contributions to Duke Heart and Duke Health! Thanks for all you do each and every day!” — Jill Engel, Service Line VP, Heart & Vascular, DUHS
Fantastic work all! Proud to be a part of an outstanding team that is delivering such excellent care to our heart failure patients in Wake County.” — James S. Mills, MD
Way to go, team!
7West Earns 2nd Beacon Gold Award
We are pleased to share with you that 7West has received its second Beacon Gold Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses! The team won their initial award in 2020 and is one of only 175 units in the U.S. currently designated with a Gold award, which is the highest designation available.
Further, this makes the Duke 7W team the only Gold-level award-holding Cardiothoracic ICU in North Carolina, and just one of only 17 CTICU’s so designated in the U.S. A much smaller number have qualified for Gold-level more than once.
According to the AACN:
- Beacon awardees set the standard for excellence in patient care environments by collecting and using evidence-based information to improve patient outcomes, patient and staff satisfaction, and credibility with consumers
- A Beacon Award signifies a positive and supportive work environment with greater collaboration between colleagues and leaders, higher morale and lower turnover. The process can be driven by the nursing staff; nurturing empowerment and leadership
“Just as we did when we received a feedback report to identify unit strengths and opportunities for improvement in 2020, we will use the latest report to celebrate our strengths, but also work on opportunities to continue to improve the care we provide and improve the experience of our team members,” said Philip Parker, nurse manager of operations for the 7W CTICU. “A big thank you and great job to everyone on the team!”
The team has clearly worked hard to maintain their level of excellence and have continued to find even more ways to grow stronger.
“Congratulations to the entire 7West multidisciplinary team,” said Jill Engel, Service Line VP for Heart and Vascular. “The amazing work you do each and every day does not go unnoticed. Thanks to each and every one of you for all you do.”
We look forward to celebrating this accomplishment in the coming weeks – which may mean even more to all of us, given the strain of the last several years.
“You have maintained the highest of standards through a very difficult time,” added Jacob Schroder, MD, co-director, Cardiothoracic Surgical Intensive Care Unit. “We appreciate all you do to provide world class care for Duke patients.”
Outstanding news, team! Beacon Gold Award #2!!!
Betty Tong featured in Doctor’s Day piece
Betty Tong, MD, a surgical oncologist and thoracic surgeon in our division of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, is featured in the March 27 issue of Duke Today. The article, Work Lessons from Duke Surgeons, was crafted to help celebrate National Doctor’s Day (March 30).
Tong is featured along with Drs. Laura Rosenberger, surgical oncologist; Chandler Long, vascular surgeon; and Dan Blazer, III, general surgeon and surgical oncologist.
Great job, Betty!
Kudos to Hausladen!
We received warm recognition for Jordan Hausladen, one of our terrific APPs in our Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. In a note from one of our patient advocates, we learned:
“I had the opportunity to speak with the daughter of one of our patients regarding her concerns while parent was a patient on 3100. Patient’s daughter shared that she was grateful that PA Jordon Hausladen took the time to explain what had happened and urgency to get patient transferred to 7E. Patient’s daughter additionally shared that she is happy with the communication from the care team on 7 East and wanted to mention that Lynette and Beverly are fantastic staff members along with everyone else.” — Shawn Parr, patient advocate, Patient Experience, Duke University Hospital
“Great job, Jordan! You’re fantastic at communicating with your patients and their families. The CICU team is lucky to have you!” — Jordan McKenzie-Solis
“Kudos and congrats Jordan! You are a tremendous provider and individual! We appreciate all you do for Duke Heart patients, families and staff. Duke Heart is a better place because of amazing team members like you!” — Jill Engel, Service Line VP, Heart & Vascular
Inaugural DOM Research Day: April 28
Consider joining the Department of Medicine for their inaugural Research Day on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the Trent Semans Center in the Great Hall from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
This event is for all departmental faculty, clinical and postdoctoral fellows, residents, medical students, and research staff. Lunch is included. For questions regarding Research Day contact Saini Pillai, MBA.
A copy of the agenda can be found here. Registration is required (deadline has passed, but maybe you can squeeze in). Please register here.
Duke Heart Represents at NCUS Spring Symposium
The 42nd annual Spring Symposium of the North Carolina Ultrasound Society was held March 10-12, 2023 at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. The meeting was well-attended and supported by Duke team members, including Richie Palma, program director of the Duke Cardiac Sonography Certificate Program and Jon Owensby, clinical lead sonographer of our Cardiac Diagnostic Unit, who were both installed as board members.
Lectures were given by Ashlee Davis, chief technologist of the Duke CDU, who presented Artificial Intelligence in Echocardiography; Palma Interesting Cases in Hemodynamics, and Owensby Mitral Regurgitation Quantification. Duke Heart Center and the DUHS Radiology Department co-sponsored a recruitment booth aimed at recruiting top sonographer talent for DUH/DRH/DRAH Adult Echo, DUHS General Ultrasound, Pediatric Echo, and PDC (DHIP) Adult Echo positions.
Well done, team! Congrats once again to Palma and Owensby for their Board membership!
Muir Named Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs for DOM, Effective April 1
Dr. Kathleen A. Cooney, Chair, Duke Department of Medicine, announced this week the appointment of Dr. Andrew Muir as Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the department.
She wrote:
“I am delighted to announce that after an internal search, Andrew Muir, MD, MHS, will serve as the next Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Medicine, beginning April 1. Dr. Muir will continue in his role as the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Muir is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and has served as Chief of the division since 2014. Prior to assuming the role of chief, he served as the Clinical Director of Hepatology for nine years, helping to facilitate the practice’s growth and expansion into Wake County and other areas of the Triangle. He is a nationally recognized hepatologist, known for both his research on health care disparities and novel hepatitis C therapies and his clinical care of patients with liver disease.
Muir earned his medical degree from Duke School of Medicine and went on to complete his residency in internal medicine and gastroenterology fellowship at Duke. During his fellowship, he spent time in the VA Health Services Research Program at the Durham VAMC, and completed the Masters in Health Sciences program in Clinical Research. He was recruited to join the Department after training and has been a member of the faculty since 2000.
As vice chair for clinical affairs, Dr. Muir will oversee the roadmap for clinical operations of the department. This oversight includes leading all aspects of our clinical practice and working closely with division clinical leads and our partners from the Health System and physician practice to ensure safe, effective care is provided to our patients. Dr. Muir has served as an At-Large Member of the Board of Managers of the PDC, which has provided him significant experiences in management and governance that will be useful in his new role.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to Dave D’Alessio and the members of the search committee for the time and effort they gave to this search. I also would like to thank Chet Patel for his outstanding service as Vice Chair; the department is stronger clinically because of his thoughtful guidance.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Muir on his new role. Under his leadership, I believe the department will continue to make great strides towards advancing our clinical mission and importantly, improving the patient experience.
April is National Donate Life Month
Donate Life America takes the lead on National Donate Life Month (NDLM), an observance that aims to focus our national attention on the need for and importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Living Donor Day is celebrated on April 5 and the Donate Life Blue & Green Spirit Week will be April 8-14.
Members of the Duke Heart cardiopulmonary team will host an awareness table outside of their clinic to share the Donate Life message by educating others about how their generosity can help save lives. Their table will be available April 10-14 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Please consider stopping by – our team will celebrate the lifesaving generosity of those who sign on as potential donors, as well as living donors, and will ultimately help others learn more about organ donation.
Support Marfan Patients & Duke Heart!
Please help Duke Heart in supporting patients with Marfan and other connective tissue disorders by supporting our efforts with the upcoming 2023 NC Walk for Victory.
The 2023 NC Walk for Victory is planned for Saturday, April 22 from Noon-3 p.m. at Laurel Hills Park, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh (27612). Duke Heart is serving as the presenting sponsor, with Dr. Chad Hughes serving as the Walk’s Medical Director.
This event is held to gather patients, family members and friends who are affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions, including Marfan Syndrome, Loeys-Dietz, and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Attendees come from all over the southeast region of the U.S. to celebrate one another and to forge friendships with others going through similar experiences.
The Walk for Victory is a fun, family-friendly event that recognizes an incredible group of people and their caregivers. The Walk helps to create awareness in the community, and is one way the Marfan Foundation raises funding for much-needed research into these genetic conditions.
Please consider supporting any of the walkers/teams — maybe throw your support behind Duke Aorta and our team captain Melissa Burkett! Check out Duke Aorta’s team fundraising page for The Marfan Foundation: https://give.marfan.org/team/482581) or behind Team James (“giving hugs and raising awareness since 2018!”). Even small contributions will help!
To learn more about the event or the Marfan Foundation in general, please visit: https://duke.is/pkjnw. Thank you!
Quick Reminders & Updates
- 2022 DCRI Impact Report Now Available
- April is Donate Life Month and Celebrate Diversity Month
- DHIP: an APP Town Hall was held on 3/13. A recording is available on DHIP.org.
- New funding opportunity for fellows! See Mario Family Foundation Award announcement under Opportunities, below. Deadline to apply is May 1.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 25: Regulatory Guidance for Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials of Antihyperglycemic Agents: Connecting the Past with the Future with Darren K. McGuire, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center & Parkland Health and Hospital System; Deputy Editor, Circulation. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
ICYMI: Links to Recent CGRs
March 21: Emily S. Lau of Mass General and Harvard Medical School presentation, What Can Sex Differences Teach Us about HFpEF ? https://duke.is/9f78c (Please note, CGR begins at 00:12:05)
March 28: Gregory Roth, director of the Program in Cardiovascular Health Metrics and associate professor of medicine in cardiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, The Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risks. https://duke.is/2j4hy.
Duke Root Causes Fundraising Gala
We are pleased to invite the Duke Heart team to the first annual Root Causes Fundraising Gala on Friday, April 14th from 7-9 p.m. at Trent Semans Center for Health Education.
Root Causes is an innovation hub for student-led interventions addressing social drivers of health. Our programs provide food to patients who are experiencing food insecurity, support patients experiencing homelessness in their housing journeys, and provide patients with metabolic diseases access to free exercise programs (among many other things we do!)
The event will feature dinner, drinks, a silent auction, and talks from special guests:
- Debra Clark Jones, Associate Vice President for Community Health for Duke Health
- Jeff Baker, Pediatrician and Medical Historian focusing on history, race and health disparities
- Susan Spratt, Endocrinologist and Clinical Researcher focusing on health disparities and ethical use of electronic medical records
The gala will bring together students, community members, and various stakeholders across Duke and the city of Durham to raise funds for our work, to highlight the ongoing work of our community partners in addressing social determinants of health, and to describe a collective vision for what uplifting our neighbors in Durham might look like.
We hope you consider supporting us by attending in person or making a donation online! Thank you in advance for your consideration, and feel free to forward this message to others who might be interested in the event.
Tickets are required and range from $30-55.
2023 Dean’s Research Series
The final date of the Dean’s Research Series will be Thursday, April 20. Full schedule and details can be found at medschool.duke.edu/research-series. The Zoom link for all faculty lectures is https://bit.ly/Duke-DDRS.
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine
The Duke Department of Medicine has announced the 2023 Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine (LRPDIM). This award is part of a series of mentored career development opportunities offered by the Department of Medicine and is designed to fund members of groups underrepresented in medicine who, as a group, are disproportionately impacted by student loans. This financial burden impedes the retention, recruitment, and diversification of research faculty in our department.
We encourage investigators from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who are under-represented in Medicine to consider applying. The LRPDIM award repays up to $50,000, annually for up to two years, of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in research. Up to two applicants will be funded (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025). The award recipient must remain a full-time employee of the DOM to receive the full amount of the award. Award funds are not restricted and can be used at the awardee’s discretion. If the research commitment is not met, recipients must pay back the amount awarded.
The 2023 LRPDIM Award application deadline is May 12, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eligibility criteria, detailed information about the Award, and the application form are available on the DOM Loan Repayment Program to Promote Diversity and Inclusion website. For program-related questions, please contact Kimberly Dorman, Special Assistant to the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Diversity in the Chair’s Office.
1st Open BAA for innovative high-impact research proposals
ARPA-H opened its first Agency-wide Open Broad Agency Announcement (Open BAA), seeking funding proposals for research aiming to improve health outcomes across patient populations, communities, diseases, and health conditions. The BAA calls for proposals to outline breakthrough research and technological advancements.
Proposals should investigate unconventional approaches, and challenge accepted assumptions to enable leaps forward in science, technology, systems, or related capabilities. ARPA-H also encourages concepts to advance the objectives of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, as well as more disease-agnostic approaches.
For questions, please contact baaquestions@arpa-h.gov
Funding Opportunity: The Mario Family Foundation Award
Training the next generation of biomedical researchers is an important core mission of the Department of Medicine. We admit the most promising, dedicated fellows into our programs, and provide experiences that will allow them to put their passion for medicine to work. These fellows will be tomorrow’s leaders in science and medicine. The Mario Family Foundation has generously supported this mission to support junior investigators in training to make the transition to become independent scientists and planning for their first extra-mural funding.
The Department of Medicine is accepting applications from fellows in specialty training for the Mario Family Foundation Award, which funds two patient-oriented research (clinical or translational) proposals for one year of funding. The total funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.
Applications must be submitted electronically no later than Monday, May 1, 2023, 5p.m.
Applications will be peer reviewed by a panel of senior scientists from the Department of Medicine. Proposals will be judged on scientific-merit, rigor, and quality of project. Our intent is to complete reviews and start funding by July 1, 2023.
Additional details and application information can be found on the Mario Family Foundation Award webpage. For project-related questions, please contact Saini Pillai, MBA, Senior Program Coordinator, Chair’s Office.
Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank Meeting, June 7
The Cardiac Safety Research Consortium will hold a Think Tank meeting on June 7. The event, CSRC Think Tank: Update on Regulatory Status of Hypertension, Biomarkers and Arrhythmia Monitoring in Clinical Trials will be held at the FDA.
In Session 1, these leading industry professionals will speak on panels discussing:
- Regulations for ECG/QT
- The double-negative conundrum
- Alternative methods for assay sensitivity assessment in routine Phase 1 QT Studies
- Covid-19 and prolonged QT
In Session 2, we will discuss:
- Small increases in blood pressure and CV risk I
- Intermittent versus chronic use hypertension drugs
In Session 3, the meeting faculty will dive into:
- Biomarkers
In Session 4, the panelists will discuss hot topics in the field such as:
- Biologics/cardiomyopathy and vaccine development
- MACE
- Gene therapies
- Wearables
The event will include professionals from FDA Regulatory, Cardiac Safety Consultants, Ltd., Eli Lilly, Richmond Pharmacology, University of Connecticut, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic, Clario, Mass General, DSI, Penn Medicine, and UCSF.
There is a registration fee for attendance, for academics it is $275. Registration and more information is available here: https://cardiac-safety.org/
The meeting will be held in person; a recording of the meeting and slide presentations will become available a month after the event occurs.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
March 15 — Harry Severance
KevinMD.com
An unspoken truth about non-compete clauses in medicine
https://duke.is/pwqqj
March 16 — Zebulon Spector and the Joe family
MSN South Africa
Mom saves daughter’s life after she suffered a cardiac arrest
https://duke.is/geyrc
March 17 — Zebulon Spector and the Joe family
Black Enterprise
Cheer mom saves daughter after she goes into cardiac arrest at competition
https://duke.is/6yy3u
March 19 — Harry Severance
KevinMD.com
Can AI solve the physician shortage crisis?
https://duke.is/4f4gq
March 20 — Zebulon Spector and the Joe family
WAND NBC, Champagne-Springfield-Decatur, IL
Cheerleader goes into cardiac arrest during competition
https://duke.is/5mt9r
March 21 — Manesh Patel
Huffpost.com
These Sleep Habits Are Putting Your Heart Health At Risk
https://duke.is/nv4tx
March 22 – Robert Mentz
Medical News Today
Heart failure: Study finds similar survival rates between drugs furosemide and torsemide
https://duke.is/b3yy7
March 22 — Marat Fudim
tctMD
Preliminary Results Suggest Benefit of Splanchnic Nerve Ablation in HFpEF
https://duke.is/4p7kw
March 23 — Adam DeVore
Medscape
Does New Heart Transplant Method Challenge Definition of Death?
https://duke.is/bbtu6
March 23 — Neha Pagidipati
MIMS/Pharmacy
Coordinated care improves use of CVD-preventive therapies in T2D
https://duke.is/cxm8f
March 24 — Keianna Joe, Andrea Joe, Duke Health
Mix 97.3/iheart radio
NC Mom Saves Teen Daughter After Heart Attack at Cheer Competition
https://duke.is/wk7p4
March 24 — G. Michael Felker and Stephanie Barnes
Medscape
Shared Decision-Making in Heart Failure
https://duke.is/j5hnk
March 24 — Adam DeVore
Medscape
A ‘Game Changer’ for Heart Transplant: Donation After Circulatory Death Explained
https://duke.is/yh4j2
March 27 — Andrew Landstrom
newsroom.heart.org
Genetic tests unexpectedly find genes linked to heart disease — now what?
https://duke.is/z2qhv
March 27 — Andrew Landstrom
SciTech Daily
Genes Linked to Heart Disease Unexpectedly Found in Genetics Tests – Now What?
https://duke.is/v6y7m
March 27 — Andrew Landstrom
News-medical.net
https://duke.is/mdhr8
March 27 — Andrew Landstrom
Healio/Cardiology
Navigating incidental genetic findings for CVD requires caution, established framework
https://duke.is/8t4v
March 28 — Neha Pagidipati and Vishal Rao
WebMD
Weight Loss Benefits Persist Even After Regaining Some Pounds
https://duke.is/cryeg
March 28 — Antonio Gutierrez
WGHP Fox 8 News
You may be prescribed walking to improve your health
https://duke.is/r9xm9
(*clip begins @ 09:23:38)
March 28 — Neha Pagidipati
The Telegraph (UK)
Don’t worry if you gain a few pounds after a diet, you’re still healthier
https://duke.is/57yne
March 28 — Monique Starks
WNCN – CBS17.com
https://duke.is/nxxpb
March 29 — Duke Health (Monique Starks)
WJZY – Fox 46 Carolinas – Queen City News Now
Drone delivery of AEDs may help quick heart attack response
https://duke.is/w8qtd
(*clip begins @ 05:59:07)
March 29 — Antonio Gutierrez
ABC4.com
Can You Really Walk Your Way to Better Health?
https://duke.is/6qm9p
March 29 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
10 Years of SGLT2 Inhibitors: A Decade of Redefining Cardiometabolic Care
https://duke.is/yn75h
Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed March 16-30, 2023
Abbas H, Olivere LA, Padgett ME, Schmidt CA, Gilmore BF, McCord TJ, Southerland KW, McClung JM, Kontos CD. Muscle progenitor cells are required for skeletal muscle regeneration and prevention of adipogenesis after limb ischemia. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023 Mar 2;10:1118738. PM: 36937923.
Chew DS, Piccini JP. Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Versus Oral Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation. Ann Intern Med 2023 Mar;176(3):eL220517. PM: 36940461.
Chouairi F, Pinsker B, Fudim M, Miller PE. Trends in outcomes and resource utilization for acute myocardial infarction admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Am Heart J 2023 Apr;258:114-118. PM: 36646197.
Delewi R, Vogel RF, Wilschut JM, Lemmert ME, Diletti R, van Vliet R, van der Waarden NWPL, Nuis RJ, Paradies V, Alexopoulos D, Zijlstra F, Montalescot G, Angiolillo DJ, Krucoff MW, Doevendans PA, Van Mieghem NM, Smits PC, Vlachojannis GJ. Sex-stratified differences in early antithrombotic treatment response in patients presenting with ST- segment elevation myocardial infarction. Am Heart J 2023 Apr;258:17-26. PM: 36596332.
Denoble AE, Moyett JM, Goldstein SA, Ward CC, Truong T, Erkanli A, James AH, Grotegut CA. Prospective Observational Study of N-terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Obese and Nonobese Women during Pregnancy. Am J Perinatol 2023 Apr;40(5):467-474. PM: 35973801.
Eudy AM, Rogers JL, Corneli A, McKenna K, Maheswaranathan M, Pisetsky DS, Criscione- Schreiber LG, Doss J, Sadun RE, Sun K, Clowse MEB. Intermittent and Persistent Type 2 lupus: patient perspectives on two distinct patterns of Type 2 SLE symptoms. Lupus Sci Med 2022 Aug;9(1):e000705. PM: 36927502.
Gaudino M, Di Franco A, Rong LQ, Piccini J, Mack M. Postoperative atrial fibrillation: from mechanisms to treatment. Eur Heart J 2023 Mar 21;44(12):1020-1039. PM: 36721960.
Govsyeyev N, Nehler M, Conte MS, Debus S, Chung J, Dorigo W, Gudz I, Krievins D, Mills J, Moll F, Norgren L, Piffaretti G, Powell R, Szalay D, Sillesen H, Wohlauer M, Szarek M, Bauersachs RM, Anand SS, Patel MR, Capell WH, Jaeger N, Hess CN, Muehlhofer E, Haskell LP, Berkowitz SD, Bonaca MP. Rivaroxaban in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease after lower extremity bypass surgery with venous and prosthetic conduits. J Vasc Surg 2023 Apr;77(4):1107-1118.e2. PM: 36470531.
Hamid A, Yimer WK, Oshunbade AA, Kamimura D, Clark D, Fox ER, Min YI, Muntner P, Shimbo D, Pandey A, Shah AM, Mentz RJ, Jones DW, Bertoni AG, Hall JE, Correa A, Butler J, Hall ME. Impact of Diabetes and Hypertension on Left Ventricular Structure and Function: The Jackson Heart. J Am Heart Assoc 2023 Mar 21;12(6):e026463. PM: 36880997.
Jenista ER, Wendell DC, Azevedo CF, Klem I, Judd RM, Kim RJ, Kim HW. Revisiting how we perform late gadolinium enhancement CMR: insights gleaned over 25 years of clinical practice. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2023 Mar 16;25(1):18. PM: 36922844.
Khedraki R, Abraham J, Jonsson O, Bhatt K, Omar HR, Bennett M, Bhimaraj A, Guha A, McCann P, Muse ED, Robinson M, Sauer AJ, Cheng A, Bagsic S, Fudim M, Heywood JT, Guglin M. Impact of exercise on pulmonary artery pressure in patients with heart failure using an ambulatory pulmonary artery pressure monitor. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023 Mar 2;10:1077365. PM: 36937902.
Loring Z, Giczewska A, Hofmann P, Chiswell K, Schlegel TT, Ugander M, Jackson KP, Piccini JP, Atwater BD. Electrocardiographic parameters associated with pacemaker induced cardiomyopathy. J Electrocardiol 2023 ;77:17-22. PM: 36549180.
Meng ML, Frere Z, Fuller M, Li YJ, Habib AS, Federspiel JJ, Wheeler SM, Gilner JB, Shah SH, Ohnuma T, Raghunathan K, Krishnamoorthy V. Maternal Cardiovascular Morbidity Events Following Preeclampsia: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Anesth Analg 2023 Apr 1;136(4):728-737. PM: 36729641.
Naggie S, Boulware DR, Lindsell CJ, Stewart TG, Slandzicki AJ, Lim SC, Cohen J, Kavtaradze D, Amon AP, Gabriel A, Gentile N, Felker GM, Jayaweera D, McCarthy MW, Sulkowski M, Rothman RL, Wilson S, DeLong A, Remaly A, Wilder R, Collins S, Dunsmore SE, Adam SJ, Thicklin F, Hanna GJ, Ginde AA, Castro M, McTigue K, Shenkman E, Hernandez AF. Effect of Higher-Dose Ivermectin for 6 Days vs Placebo on Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2023 Mar 21;329(11):888-897. PM: 36807465.
Naggie S, Milstone A, Castro M, Collins SP, Lakshmi S, Anderson DJ, Cahuayme-Zuniga L, Turner KB, Cohen LW, Currier J, Fraulo E, Friedland A, Garg J, George A, Mulder H, Olson RE, O’Brien EC, Rothman RL, Shenkman E, Shostak J, Woods CW, Anstrom KJ, Hernandez AF. Hydroxychloroquine for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in health care workers: a randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine (HERO-HCQ). Int J Infect Dis 2023 Apr;129:40-48. PM: 36682681.
Rao VN, Diez J, Gustafsson F, Mentz RJ, Senni M, Jankowska EA, Bauersachs J. Practical Patient Care Considerations With Use of Vericiguat After Worsening Heart Failure Events. J Card Fail 2023 Mar;29(3):389-402. PM: 36529314.
Rikken SAOF, Selvarajah A, Hermanides RS, Coller BS, Gibson CM, Granger CB, Lapostolle F, Postma S, van de Wetering H, van Vliet RCW, Montalescot G, Ten Berg JM, van ‘t Hof AWJ. Prehospital treatment with zalunfiban (RUC-4) in patients with ST- elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention: Rationale and design of the CELEBRATE trial. Am Heart J 2023 Apr;258:119-128. PM: 36592878.
Scott M, Baykaner T, Bunch TJ, Piccini JP, Russo AM, Tzou WS, Zeitler EP, Steinberg BA. Contemporary trends in cardiac electrophysiology procedures in the United States, and impact of a global pandemic. Heart Rhythm O2 2023 Mar;4(3):193-199. PM: 36569386.
Yao RJR, Holmes DN, Andrade JG, Levin A, Piccini JP, Fordyce CB. Variability in Nonvitamin K Oral Anticoagulant Dose Eligibility and Adjustment According to Renal Formulae and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation With and Without Chronic Kidney Disease: Insights From ORBIT-AF II. J Am Heart Assoc 2023 Mar 21;12(6):e026605. PM: 36892077.
Baksh SS, Hu J, Pratt RE, Dzau VJ, Hodgkinson CP. Rig1 receptor plays a critical role in cardiac reprogramming via YY1 signaling. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023 Apr 1;324(4):C843-C855. PM: 36847443.
Bethel MA, Sourij H, Stevens SR, Hannan K, Lokhnygina Y, Adler AI, Peterson ED, Holman RR, Lopes RD. Time-dependent event accumulation in a cardiovascular outcome trial of patients with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2023 Mar 28;22(1):72. PM: 36978066.
Carnicelli AP, Agarwal R, Tedford RJ, Ramaiah V, Felker GM, Katz JN. Critical Care Enrichment During Advanced Heart Failure Training. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023 Apr 4;81(13):1296-1299. PM: 36990549.
Chu MWA, Ruel M, Graeve A, Gerdisch MW, Damiano RJ, Smith RL, Keeling WB, Wait MA, Hagberg RC, Quinn RD, Sethi GK, Floridia R, Barreiro CJ, Pruitt AL, Accola KD, Dagenais F, Markowitz AH, Ye J, Sekela ME, Tsuda RY, Duncan DA, Swistel DG, Harville LE, DeRose JJ, Lehr EJ, Alexander JH, Puskas JD. Low-Dose vs Standard Warfarin After Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement: A Randomized Trial. Ann Thorac Surg 2023 Apr;115(4):929-938. PM: 36610532.
Gerstein HC, Li Z, Ramasundarahettige C, Baek S, Branch KRH, Del Prato S, Lam CSP, Lopes RD, Pratley R, Rosenstock J, Sattar N. Exploring the Relationship Between Efpeglenatide Dose and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes: Insights From the AMPLITUDE-O Trial. Circulation 2023 Mar 28;147(13):1004-1013. PM: 36802715.
Lakkireddy DR, Segar DS, Sood A, Wu M, Rao A, Sohail MR, Pokorney SD, Blomström-Lundqvist C, Piccini JP, Granger CB. Early Lead Extraction for Infected Implanted Cardiac Electronic Devices: JACC Review Topic of the Week. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023 Apr 4;81(13):1283-1295. PM: 36990548.
Li A, Liu S, Huang R, Ahn S, Lefkowitz RJ. Loss of biased signaling at a G protein-coupled receptor in overexpressed systems. PLoS One 2023 Mar 24;18(3):e0283477. PM: 36961836.
Lusk JB, Song A, Unnithan S, Al-Khalidi HR, Delic A, de Havenon A, Biousse V, Schrag M, Poli S, Piccini JP, Xian Y, O’Brien EC, Mac Grory B. Association Between Hospital-Documented Atrial Fibrillation and Central Retinal Artery Occlusion. Stroke 2023 Apr;54(4):983-991. PM: 36729390.
Neighbors CE, Sloane R, Pieper CF, Wixted D, Woods CW, Newby LK. Mitigation behavior prior to COVID-19 vaccination availability is associated with COVID-19 infection and time to vaccination. PLoS One 2023 Mar 24;18(3):e0283381. PM: 36961840.
Rashid AM, Khan MS, Fudim M, DeWald TA, DeVore A, Butler J. Management of Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction. Curr Probl Cardiol 2023 May;48(5):101596. PM: 36681212.
Richter MJ, Fortuni F, Alenezi F, D’Alto M, Badagliacca R, Brunner NW, van Dijk AP, Douschan P, Gall H, Ghio S, Giudice FL, Grünig E,
Haddad F, Howard L, Rajagopal S, Stens N, Stolfo D, Thijssen DHJ, Vizza CD, Zamanian RT, Zhong L, Seeger W, Ghofrani HA, Tello K. Imaging the right atrium in pulmonary hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Heart Lung Transplant 2023 Apr;42(4):433-446. PM: 36610927.
Salah HM, Savarese G, Rosano GMC, Ambrosy AP, Mentz RJ, Fudim M. Intravenous iron infusion in patients with heart failure: a systematic review and study-level meta-analysis. ESC Heart Fail 2023 Apr;10(2):1473-1480. PM: 36734033.
Teng TK, Tay WT, Ouwerkerk W, Tromp J, Richards AM, Gamble G, Greene SJ, Yiu KH, Poppe K, Ling LH, Lund M, Sim D, Devlin G, Loh SY,
Troughton R, Ren QW, Jaufeerally F, Lee SGS, Tan RS, Soon DKN, Leong G, Ong HY, Yeo DPS, Lam CSP, Doughty RN. Titration of medications and outcomes in multi-ethnic heart failure cohorts (with reduced ejection fraction) from Singapore and New Zealand. ESC Heart Fail 2023 Apr;10(2):1280-1293. PM: 36722315.
Duke Heart March 26th 2023
Highlights of the week:
Turek Receives Everest Award from Marfan Foundation
Late last year, the Marfan Foundation announced that it had selected Joseph Turek, MD, PhD, chief of pediatric cardiac surgery in Duke’s division of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery as the first-ever recipient of their Everest Award, the Foundation’s largest research grant to date. The award will provide up to four years of funding, for a total of $800,000, as long as annual milestone goals are met. The initial year of funding provides $200,000.
The Marfan Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to support individuals with Marfan syndrome as well as other genetic aortic and vascular conditions, including Loeys-Dietz and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromes.
Marfan syndrome is a genetic condition that affects connective tissue. It is caused by a mutation in the FBN1 gene, which limits the body’s ability to make proteins required to build connective tissue. This can lead to damaged blood vessels, as well as damage to the heart, eyes, skin, lungs, and the bones of the hips, spine, feet, and rib cage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A serious complication of Marfan syndrome is the development of an aortic aneurysm, which can eventually rupture.
In the US, there are about 75,000 patients with known Marfan Syndrome. Most of them will need surgery to repair an aneurysm, according to Turek.
Typically, surgery is not performed until a patient reaches early adulthood. Children diagnosed with Marfan are usually monitored over time in order to detect changes to their aorta. Most first surgeries occur due to an aneurysm that has developed on the ascending aorta.
We spoke with Turek to learn more about the work he’s doing on Marfan and the project that is being funded with the Everest Award.
“I’ve seen how devastating this disease can be,” says Turek. “The fact is, patients who do not get treated in time die from these aneurysms. Patients who do get treated in time undergo large operations — extensive heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm — and in many cases have to come back to get additional surgeries to fix other parts of their aorta. The best thing we could ever do for these patients would be to get to the point where we could just manage this with medicine and avoid surgery altogether.”
There is a well-characterized pathway in the mediation of Marfan syndrome. It has been pretty well studied, so a lot is known about it, Turek adds.
“The problem is that when you treat this well-known pathway with medications, it still doesn’t stop the growth of aneurysms in Marfan. It slows it, but it doesn’t stop it. So, there are clearly other pathways involved that are leading to aneurysm growth.”
Dating back to his time as a pediatric cardiac surgeon at the University of Iowa, he and his team have been investigating alternate pathways that could also be causing aneurysms to form in Marfan patients. The team’s persistence has been paying off.
“We found a new pathway that, when treated in animal models, completely blocked that pathway in addition to the well-characterized pathway,” added Turek. “We actually didn’t get aneurysms forming at all in our animal studies. Of course, we need more research and a path forward towards drug discovery.”
Turek hopes the Everest Award will allow him to do just that. He says the goal is to be able to get to the point where Marfan patients can effectively be medically managed, and hopefully keep them from needing surgery at all.
“Without the Everest grant I don’t think we could push this through the preclinical stages as quickly as we’d like,” he says. “This award really changes everything for us by allowing us to take a deeper dive into exploring this promising pathway and treatment modality. We’d really like to have something we could take into clinical trials for people with Marfan syndrome.”
We look forward to tracking this project as it moves forward.
If you’d like to see the video announcement made by Josephine Grima, PhD, Chief Science Officer of the Marfan Foundation, please check it out here: https://duke.is/wxyc2.
Beyond the Everest Award, the Marfan Foundation bestowed $600,000 in new grants to physician-scientists as part of its Research Grant program, bringing total current grant funding to $1,285,500.
Congratulations, Joe!
Support Marfan Patients & Duke Heart!
Speaking of Marfan syndrome and the Marfan Foundation… if you’d like to help Duke Heart in supporting patients with Marfan and other connective tissue disorders, please consider joining us at the upcoming 2023 NC Walk for Victory.
The 2023 NC Walk for Victory is planned for Saturday, April 22 from Noon-3 p.m. at Laurel Hills Park, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh (27612). Duke Heart is serving as the presenting sponsor, with Dr. Chad Hughes serving as the Walk’s Medical Director.
This event is held to gather patients, family members and friends who are affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions, including Marfan Syndrome, Loeys-Dietz, and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Attendees come from all over the southeast region of the U.S. to celebrate one another and to forge friendships with others going through similar experiences.
The Walk for Victory is a fun, family-friendly event that recognizes an incredible group of people and their caregivers. The Walk helps to create awareness in the community, and is one way the Marfan Foundation raises funding for much-needed research into these genetic conditions.
Please consider supporting any of the walkers/teams — maybe throw your support behind Duke Aorta and our team captain Melissa Burkett! Check out Duke Aorta’s team fundraising page for The Marfan Foundation: https://give.marfan.org/team/482581) or behind Team James (“giving hugs and raising awareness since 2018!”). Even small contributions will help!
To learn more about the event or the Marfan Foundation in general, please visit: https://duke.is/pkjnw. Thank you!
Benkert Receives NHLBI Research Fellowship Award
Congratulations to Abigail Benkert, a PGY-4 in our Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery training program (I6 resident), who was recently notified that she has been selected for a Research Fellowship Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The award funding, which begins August 21, 2023, includes $76,292 in funding for Year 1.
The award is for her project, Evaluation of adeno-associated viral (AAV) mediated gene replacement therapy as a therapeutic option for SLC25A4 deficiency (award #F32HL167559), which will fund part of a project Benkert has been working on for several years. She has been conducting research into a form of inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that captured her interest while in medical school at Tufts, and ties back to her experiences as an undergraduate student at Franklin & Marshall College.
At Franklin & Marshall, Benkert began working in a laboratory that collaborated with the Clinic for Special Children (CSC), located in Strasburg, PA. CSC is a pediatric medical genetics clinic that treats children with a myriad of conditions, but historically focused on the treatment of Amish and Mennonite children with rare genetic, biochemical, and other disorders.
Benkert says her exposure to the physicians at the Clinic for Special Children was instrumental to her not only because the experience piqued her interest in medical genetics, but also in shaping her initial career choices. “The pediatricians and research team at CSC are devoted to providing innovative and high-quality care to a very underserved population.,” she says. “I originally thought I’d become a pediatrician and practice in a rural location at some point, maybe even go back to working at the Clinic.”
She headed to medical school at Tufts University, which has a partnership program with Maine Medical Center that focuses on primary care in rural settings. Benkert signed on for the program and during her final year of medical school worked with the CSC once again to study the natural history of an inherited skeletal myopathy and form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) among a cohort of Mennonite patients.
Unfortunately, for a lot of patients with HCM there aren’t many effective therapies, and that was true for these particular Mennonite patients.
Fast forward to now. Benkert says the lack of therapies for these patients was the impetus for her project.
“Nothing is available to help modify their disease or effectively help their symptoms,” she adds. “The reality is we have to wait until they’re in heart failure, and then treat the heart failure and perhaps consider heart transplantation.”
Her Research Fellowship Award from the NHLBI will allow her to focus on gene therapy strategies that could potentially help. Her project aims to develop an adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene replacement strategy. She’ll be working with Aravind Asokan, PhD, professor in the department of surgery, and director of gene therapy at Duke. Benkert has been working with Asokan’s basic science lab in Duke’s department of Biomedical Engineering to develop the construct that can be used for gene therapy, and test it in a transgenic mouse model and in patient-derived cells. They’ll be getting blood samples from HCM patients, dedifferentiating them into pluripotent stem cells, and from there turning them into cardiomyocytes so they can actually test the gene therapy on heart cells.
“The award will give me a good launching point for my career as a surgeon-scientist, and I believe demonstrates my commitment to this work. It’s really nice to have the funding to continue pursuing a project and interest that started while I was a medical student.”
When asked to reflect on why she chose to go into medicine, Benkert thinks back to her childhood. “Since I was a young kid, I knew I wanted to be in medicine. I enjoy helping people and I thought it would be something that I’d be good at, because I felt passionate about it,” she says. “I realized that while I love doing research, I also really enjoy interacting with patients. I wanted a combination of the two.”
In medical school, eventually her love of heart physiology won out over her interest in pediatrics. Benkert says she “basically did a 180” by deciding to go into cardiothoracic surgery. “I love taking care of critically ill patients. And once I was exposed to surgery, I couldn’t imagine doing anything outside of the field,” she added.
Benkert is excited by the prospect of working as a clinician while conducting research and working in the translational space. “I hope to be involved in translational projects and eventually clinical trials with patients. I think this grant sets a nice foundation for that by allowing me the time and the funding to work in the lab so that I am able to get research years as part of my residency training.”
Congratulations, Abby! We’re excited to see your career take off!
ACC.23: Lerman’s Paragonix Interview; Burkett Poster Presentation
We missed these items a couple of weeks ago, but still wanted to share! Cardiology fellow Joe Lerman was interviewed by Mary Jacoski, senior director of Scientific and Medical Affairs for Paragonix Technologies during the ACC Scientific Sessions. Lerman presented a sub-study analysis on post-transplant outcomes in patients on a durable LVAD from of the GUARDIAN-Heart trial. You can see her interview with Lerman here: https://duke.is/n4m7e.
And, Melissa Burkett, nurse practitioner in cardiothoracic surgery, presented her poster, Adherence to Antibiotic Prophylaxis After Valve Replacement Surgery.
Nicely done, Joe and Melissa!
Quick Reminders & Updates
- Please do not hold doors open for non-Duke Health employees! You’re not being rude, you’re maintaining safety for our patients and for each other.
- The AANC site visit for DUH Magnet re-designation will take place March 28-31.
- New funding opportunity for fellows! See Mario Family Foundation Award announcement under Opportunities, below. Deadline to apply is May 1.
- National Doctor’s Day is Thursday, March 30!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
March 28: The Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risks with Gregory Roth, director of the Program in Cardiovascular Health Metrics and associate professor of medicine in cardiology at the University of Washington in Seattle. 5 p.m., DN 2002 or via Zoom.
April 25: Regulatory Guidance for Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials of Antihyperglycemic Agents: Connecting the Past with the Future with Darren K. McGuire, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center & Parkland Health and Hospital System; Deputy Editor, Circulation. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
ICYMI: Links to Recent CGRs
March 14: Italo Biaggioni of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Role of Sympathetic Nervous System in Obesity Hypertension. https://duke.is/v73n9 (Please note, the CGR begins at 00:16:55).
March 15: Patrick O’Gara of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Asymptomatic Valvular Heart Disease. https://duke.is/zd96e (Please note, the CGR begins at 00:10:05)
March 21: Emily S. Lau of Mass General and Harvard Medical School presentation, What Can Sex Differences Teach Us about HFpEF ? https://duke.is/9f78c (Please note, CGR begins at 00:12:05)
2023 Dean’s Research Series
The Dean’s Research Series continues on Thursday, March 30 and Thursday, April 20. Full schedule and details can be found at medschool.duke.edu/research-series. The Zoom link for all faculty lectures is https://bit.ly/Duke-DDRS.
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
Funding Opportunity: The Mario Family Foundation Award
Training the next generation of biomedical researchers is an important core mission of the Department of Medicine. We admit the most promising, dedicated fellows into our programs, and provide experiences that will allow them to put their passion for medicine to work. These fellows will be tomorrow’s leaders in science and medicine. The Mario Family Foundation has generously supported this mission to support junior investigators in training to make the transition to become independent scientists and planning for their first extra-mural funding.
The Department of Medicine is accepting applications from fellows in specialty training for the Mario Family Foundation Award, which funds two patient-oriented research (clinical or translational) proposals for one year of funding. The total funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.
Applications must be submitted electronically no later than Monday, May 1, 2023, 5p.m.
Applications will be peer reviewed by a panel of senior scientists from the Department of Medicine. Proposals will be judged on scientific-merit, rigor, and quality of project. Our intent is to complete reviews and start funding by July 1, 2023.
Additional details and application information can be found on the Mario Family Foundation Award webpage. For project-related questions, please contact Saini Pillai, MBA, Senior Program Coordinator, Chair’s Office.
Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank Meeting, June 7
The Cardiac Safety Research Consortium will hold a Think Tank meeting on June 7. The event, CSRC Think Tank: Update on Regulatory Status of Hypertension, Biomarkers and Arrhythmia Monitoring in Clinical Trials will be held at the FDA.
In Session 1, these leading industry professionals will speak on panels discussing:
- Regulations for ECG/QT
- The double-negative conundrum
- Alternative methods for assay sensitivity assessment in routine Phase 1 QT Studies
- Covid-19 and prolonged QT
In Session 2, we will discuss:
- Small increases in blood pressure and CV risk I
- Intermittent versus chronic use hypertension drugs
In Session 3, the meeting faculty will dive into:
- Biomarkers
In Session 4, the panelists will discuss hot topics in the field such as:
- Biologics/cardiomyopathy and vaccine development
- MACE
- Gene therapies
- Wearables
The event will include professionals from FDA Regulatory, Cardiac Safety Consultants, Ltd., Eli Lilly, Richmond Pharmacology, University of Connecticut, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic, Clario, Mass General, DSI, Penn Medicine, and UCSF.
There is a registration fee for attendance, for academics it is $275. Registration and more information is available here: https://cardiac-safety.org/
The meeting will be held in person; a recording of the meeting and slide presentations will become available a month after the event occurs.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart Pulse 3-19-2023
Chief’s message: Spring Breaks and March Madness
This was a particularly busy week for Duke Heart with several visiting professors as noted before. Italo Biaggioni of Vanderbilt University Medical Center gave a great grand rounds on Role of Sympathetic Nervous System in Obesity Hypertension. For those with Duke access can use the link below to see the lectures. We also had a wonderful visit from Pat O’Gara who gave the 17th J.G. Reves Lecture – a lecture started by Jerry Reves in honor of building and starting the Duke Heart Center over 30 years ago. The time for coordinated care and working through how we get closer to serving our patients could not be more important. Dr. O’Gara gave the lecture, visited with fellows and faculty across Duke Heart, and then was also able to give cardiology grand rounds. We are appreciative of his inspirational visit.
We were out of town this week and were able to visit the Grand Canyon National Park, Upper Antelope, and Horseshoe Bend Arizona (pictured) where the Colorado River turns back on itself when faced with significant opposing rock formations. The natural wonders were great to see with family and provide perspective on how change happens in nature and the delicate balance between ecosystems. We were able to find a heart in Upper Antelope Canyon (pictured) where depending on day and time the light can make quite a few amazing streams. Also, during the travels we saw other members from Duke Heart on spring breaks to similar and distant locations.
Finally, many of us are following March Madness basketball and the twists and turns for teams. The Duke Basketball team lost on Saturday to Tennessee, but the year in reflection highlighted the impact that teamwork, coaching, and effort can have as all of the school will be proud of the accomplishments of the team, wonder about what could have been, and hope springs eternal for returning players and next year’s team. Hopefully all of you will get sometime this spring to be with family.
Highlights of the week:
Annual Reves Lecture Held
The 17th annual J. G. Reves, MD Lecture was held on Wednesday with Patrick O’Gara, MD, as the guest speaker. His lecture, Research and Decision-Making at the Interface Between Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology, was well received! O’Gara is the Watkins Family Distinguished Chair in Cardiology and professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the director of Strategic Planning for the cardiovascular division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. We enjoyed having him at Duke – and especially delighted that he was able to spend some quality time with our fellows!
The Annual Reves Lecture is arranged by Duke’s Department of Anesthesiology and honors Dr. Jerry Reves, a former Duke cardiac anesthesiologist and a founding member of the Duke Heart Center.
Dr. O’Gara gave a special Cardiology Grand Rounds lecture as part of his visit to Duke. A link can be found below, in the CGR section.
We’d like to add a very special shout-out to Christy Johnson for her efforts in helping to organize his visit to Duke. Thanks, Christy!
Patel to Receive AHA National 2023 Physician of the Year Award
We’re pleased to share that Manesh Patel, MD will receive the American Heart Association’s 2023 Physician of the Year Award. The announcement was made on Thursday by Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA. Patel is among nearly two dozen people and organizations who will be recognized during the AHA’s National Volunteer Awards event on Wednesday, June 14. The event will be held virtually.
The AHA’s Physician of the Year Award honors a physician with a longstanding commitment to the highest ideals of patient care and exemplary leadership in the AHA mission. Patel currently serves on the Board of the Triangle AHA, has led programming for the AHA Scientific Sessions and committees, and is a strong advocate for research, safety, and quality care for cardiovascular patients. He regularly gives his time to advocacy, and is a long-time supporter of the annual Triangle Heart Walk.
Manesh stated “I am humbled by the award, and it speaks to the longstanding ethos of service and work with the AHA that so many of my mentors and colleagues have instilled as part of our culture at Duke. I hope to be able to give back as they have to our community and mentor the next generation.”
Great Catch, McGugan!
Lynn McGugan, one of our nurse practitioners on 7 West received a Great Catch this week from DUH administration! McGugan recognized a discrepancy in an order set for temporary mechanical circulatory support that contraindicated the specific device policy and would have resulted in asking nurses to practice outside of their scope. Appropriate stakeholders were engaged, and the order set was immediately updated.
Kudos to Lynn for calling out this discrepancy in a long-standing order set, showing willingness to question the status quo in the name of safety!
Way to go, Lynn!
Shout-out to CICU Nursing Staff!
A big shout-out to nurses from the Cardiology Intensive Care Unit – they were able to arrange for one of our long-term patients to go outside for a bit. The patient was deeply appreciative of this. Special recognition to nurses Yu Wang and Morgan Stone, and to nursing assistant Allyson Blake.
According to Jason Katz, “It was the first time this patient had seen the sun or felt fresh air in over two months – and the last time (the patient had been outdoors) was on the tarmac to be flown to Duke University Hospital for emergent care. We topped things off with a vanilla milkshake from Chick-Fil-A — it was his favorite and he enjoyed it quite a lot.”
Our nursing team is amazing!!! Thank you for all that you do.
Cardiac Cath Team Featured in Working @Duke
Hat tip to the “Cath Us If You Can” team, comprised of members of Duke Heart’s cardiac catheterization unit. They’re featured in the most recent issue of Working@Duke for their participation in Duke’s Get Moving Challenge. Thanks for literally walking the walk and getting your steps and exercise in! To read the story, visit https://duke.is/mpapm.
ICYMI: Quick Thinking Mother Saves Daughter with CPR, AED
A really terrific story out of Duke pediatric cardiology this week, which was featured on the Today show, Good Morning America, and several local news outlets here in the Triangle. The mother of a cheerleader recognized that her daughter had gone into cardiac arrest, and quickly began performing CPR until an AED was brought to her. Her daughter survived and was transported to Duke University Hospital, where she received care from Dr. Zebulon Spector. Links to the news stories are below under News.
This is another great example of why knowing CPR and having access to AEDs is important!
Quick Reminders & Updates
- Please do not hold doors open for non-Duke Health employees! You’re not being rude, you’re maintaining safety for our patients and for each other.
- The AANC site visit for DUH Magnet re-designation will take place March 28-31.
- New funding opportunity for fellows! See Mario Family Foundation Award announcement under Opportunities, below. Deadline to apply is May 1.
Updates to COVID Protocols
Leadership announced earlier today several changes to the COVID protocols:
“As we head into the home stretch of the academic year, we find our campus’ COVID risk to be far less serious than any time during the pandemic. During the last 18 months, we have seen immunity through vaccination or natural infection increase to about 90 percent of our population. This has led to a steep decline in cases and severe illness. As a result, we are making several changes to our COVID protocols.
- Masking: Masking on Duke buses and vans is now recommended, but will no longer be required. Masks will be available on buses for those who request one. Masking is still required in all patient-care and clinical settings and for anyone who is symptomatic and around others, regardless of location or test results.
- COVID Vaccination: Duke’s medical experts are currently assessing potential changes in the COVID vaccination policy given the increase in community immunity levels and decline in severity of illness. More information will be shared once decisions are finalized.
- Surveillance Testing: The last two remaining surveillance test sites ended operation before spring break. Symptomatic testing will continue to be available on campus through Student Health or the Employee Exposure Hotline, 919-385-0431, option 1.
- Rapid Antigen Tests: At-home antigen tests are available through the Duke Stores’ Service Desk in the Bryan Center. One test kit per week is available at no charge to anyone with a valid DukeCard.
- SymMon App: The SymMon app used for reporting symptoms or test results will be retired on April 3. Employees can use the My COVID Link to report symptoms or test results, and students should contact Student Health to do the same.
- Student Case Management: Formal student COVID case management will conclude on Sunday, March 19. Going forward, students who test positive for COVID should isolate in place for at least 5 days from symptom onset and wear a mask when indoors or around others for 10 days. For nurse advice or to make an appointment with a medical provider, students can call Duke Student Health at 919-681-9355.
As has been the case throughout the pandemic, these changes are based on the data, trends and science. We acknowledge the possibility that a new COVID variant could change the current trends and require us to modify our approach regarding vaccination, masking and other safety protocols. We will continue to monitor and assess global and local data to determine if such changes are needed in the future. Anyone testing positive should continue to report to Employee Health or Student Health, mask and isolate in place as required before returning to work, class or academic activities.
Thank you for your ongoing support and collective efforts during these difficult years. Working together as a community, we have learned, adapted, and overcome so many challenges.”
DHIP update
Distribution of Employment Agreements for transitioning members is ongoing. Please monitor your inbox for critical communication from DHIP@duke.edu, your department chair, and Adobe Sign.
Reminder: The Duke Guarantee offers the minimum compensation each Member can expect to receive. Additional compensation opportunities which exist today will continue to be available to members within DHIP.
All members will be given four weeks to consider employment and sign their Employment Agreements.
Benefits:
- A benefits transition FAQ for PDC Direct staff is available on org.
- Information regarding Duke Benefits is available on SharePoint.
- All benefits related questions can be sent to DHIPBenefits@Duke.edu.
All other questions can be sent to DHIP@duke.edu, and all DHIP updates can be found at https://dhip.org.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
March 21: What Can Sex Differences Teach Us about HFpEF ? with Emily S. Lau, Director, Cardiometabolic Health and Hormones Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School. 5 p.m., Zoom only.
ICYMI: Links to Recent CGRs
In case you were unable to join us, we have links available to our most recent Cardiology Grand Rounds:
February 16: Haider Warraich of VA Boston Healthcare System, State of the Heart: What the History of Heart Disease Teaches Us About Its Future. https://duke.is/26j5p
February 28: Sandeep Nathan of the University of Chicago, Percutaneous Mechanical Circulatory Support (pMCS) in High Risk PCI and Shock: Facts, Fiction & Future Devices. https://duke.is/g2dzh (Please note, the CGR begins at 00:21:47).
March 14: Italo Biaggioni of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Role of Sympathetic Nervous System in Obesity Hypertension. https://duke.is/v73n9 (Please note, the CGR begins at 00:16:55).
March 15: Patrick O’Gara of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Asymptomatic Valvular Heart Disease. https://duke.is/zd96e (Please note, the CGR begins at 00:10:05)
2023 Dean’s Research Series
The Dean’s Research Series continues on Thursday, March 30 and Thursday, April 20. Full schedule and details can be found at medschool.duke.edu/research-series. The Zoom link for all faculty lectures is https://bit.ly/Duke-DDRS.
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
Funding Opportunity: The Mario Family Foundation Award
Training the next generation of biomedical researchers is an important core mission of the Department of Medicine. We admit the most promising, dedicated fellows into our programs, and provide experiences that will allow them to put their passion for medicine to work. These fellows will be tomorrow’s leaders in science and medicine. The Mario Family Foundation has generously supported this mission to support junior investigators in training to make the transition to become independent scientists and planning for their first extra-mural funding.
The Department of Medicine is accepting applications from fellows in specialty training for the Mario Family Foundation Award, which funds two patient-oriented research (clinical or translational) proposals for one year of funding. The total funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.
Applications must be submitted electronically no later than Monday, May 1, 2023, 5p.m.
Applications will be peer reviewed by a panel of senior scientists from the Department of Medicine. Proposals will be judged on scientific-merit, rigor, and quality of project. Our intent is to complete reviews and start funding by July 1, 2023.
Additional details and application information can be found on the Mario Family Foundation Award webpage. For project-related questions, please contact Saini Pillai, MBA, Senior Program Coordinator, Chair’s Office.
Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank Meeting, June 7
The Cardiac Safety Research Consortium will hold a Think Tank meeting on June 7. The event, CSRC Think Tank: Update on Regulatory Status of Hypertension, Biomarkers and Arrhythmia Monitoring in Clinical Trials will be held at the FDA.
In Session 1, these leading industry professionals will speak on panels discussing:
- Regulations for ECG/QT
- The double-negative conundrum
- Alternative methods for assay sensitivity assessment in routine Phase 1 QT Studies
- Covid-19 and prolonged QT
In Session 2, we will discuss:
- Small increases in blood pressure and CV risk I
- Intermittent versus chronic use hypertension drugs
In Session 3, the meeting faculty will dive into:
- Biomarkers
In Session 4, the panelists will discuss hot topics in the field such as:
- Biologics/cardiomyopathy and vaccine development
- MACE
- Gene therapies
- Wearables
The event will include professionals from FDA Regulatory, Cardiac Safety Consultants, Ltd., Eli Lilly, Richmond Pharmacology, University of Connecticut, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic, Clario, Mass General, DSI, Penn Medicine, and UCSF.
There is a registration fee for attendance, for academics it is $275. Registration and more information is available here: https://cardiac-safety.org/
The meeting will be held in person; a recording of the meeting and slide presentations will become available a month after the event occurs.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
March 10 — John Alexander
Pharmacist.com/APhA
Statin alternative joins drugs that could reduce heart attack risk
https://duke.is/6g5mk
March 13 — John Alexander
NPR/Morning Edition
Got muscle pain from statins? A cholesterol-lowering alternative might be for you
https://duke.is/p5j62
March 14 — Tony Gutierrez
El Confidencial
¿Podemos de verdad morir de la risa? Esto es lo que dice la ciencia y la historia
https://duke.is/ys84c
March 14 — Neha Pagidipati
HealthDay
ACC: Coordinated Intervention Increases Rx for Evidence-Based T2DM Therapies
https://duke.is/zjk5r
*also carried by 65 additional outlets including Drugs.com, Physician’s Weekly
March 14 — Keianna & Andrea Joe
WCNC NBC-36 Charlotte
NC cheerleader recovering after going into cardiac arrest during competition
https://duke.is/ms52v
March 14 — Keianna & Andrea Joe
WRAL NBC-5
Mother saves life of 17-year-old daughter who went into cardiac arrest at Raleigh high school
https://duke.is/8ejc5
March 15 — Zebulon Spector (pediatrics) and Keianna & Andrea Joe
Today show, NBC
Mom saves teen daughter’s life after she had cardiac arrest at a cheerleading competition
https://duke.is/c48sy
March 15 — Danielle Wood (pediatrics)
Clinical Advisor
Protocol Reduces Opioid Exposure in Pediatric Cardiac ICU
https://duke.is/wvkds
March 15 — Zebulon Spector and Keianna & Andrea Joe
People.com
https://duke.is/633yb
Consumer news coverage will return on April 2. Thanks for reading!
Division of Cardiology Publications: March 9-15, 2023
Blumer V, Zhbannikov IY, Douglas PS. Contributions of Women to Cardiovascular Science Over Two Decades: Authorship, Leadership, and Mentorship. J Am Heart Assoc 2023 Mar 7;12(5):e026828. PM: 36847072.
Chi G, Violi F, Pignatelli P, Vestri A, Spagnoli A, Loffredo L, Hernandez AF, Hull RD, Cohen AT, Harrington RA, Goldhaber SZ, Gibson CM. External validation of the ADA score for predicting thrombosis among acutely ill hospitalized medical patients from the APEX Trial. J Thromb Thrombolysis 2023 Feb;55(2):211- 221. PM: 36566304.
Desai MY, Owens A, Geske JB, Wolski K, Saberi S, Wang A, Sherrid M, Cremer PC, Naidu SS, Smedira NG, Schaff H, McErlean E, Sewell C, Balasubramanyam A, Lampl K, Sehnert AJ, Nissen SE. Dose-Blinded Myosin Inhibition in Patients With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Referred for Septal Reduction Therapy: Outcomes Through 32 Weeks. Circulation 2023 Mar 14;147(11):850-863. PM: 36335531.
Filbey L, Zhu JW, D’Angelo F, Thabane L, Khan MS, Lewis E, Patel MR, Powell-Wiley T, Miranda JJ, Zuhlke L, Butler J, Zannad F, Van Spall HGC. Improving representativeness in trials: a call to action from the Global Cardiovascular Clinical Trialists Forum. Eur Heart J 2023 Mar 14;44(11):921-930. PM: 36702610.
Greene SJ, Felker GM. Considering Addition of Acetazolamide to Loop Diuretics as Treatment for Acute Heart Failure: ADVOR Reappraisal. JACC Heart Fail 2023 Mar;11(3):365-367. PM: 36889884.
Hsueh YC, Pratt RE, Dzau VJ, Hodgkinson CP. Novel method of differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells to mature cardiomyocytes via Sfrp2. Sci Rep 2023 Mar 9;13(1):3920. PM: 36894665.
Khedagi A, Hoke C, Kelsey M, Coviello A, Jones WS, Jackson LR, Patel MR, McGarrah RW, Pagidipati NJ, Shah NP. Call to action: Understanding the differences in the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists. Am J Prev Cardiol 2023 Feb 24;13:100477. PM: 36915710.
Maia IS, Marcadenti A, Veiga VC, Miranda TA, Gomes SPC, Carollo MBS, Negrelli KL, Gomes JO, Tramujas L, Abreu-Silva EO, Westphal GA, Fernandes RP, Horta JGA, Oliveira DC, Flato UAP, Paoliello RCR, Fernandes C, Zandonai CL, Coelho JC, Barros WC, Lemos JC, Bolan RS, Dutra MM, et al. Antivirals for adult patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV- 2 infection: a randomised, phase II/III, multicentre, placebo-controlled, adaptive study, with multiple arms and stages. COALITION COVID-19 BRAZIL IX-REVOLUTIOn trial. Lancet Reg Health Am 2023 Apr;20:100466. PM: 36908503.
Montalescot G, Alexander JH, Cequier-Fillat A, Solomon SD, Redheuil A, Hudec M, Silvain J, Kachenoura N, Janas A, Orban M, Josse I, Balavoine F, Besse B. Firibastat Versus Ramipril After Acute Mechanical Reperfusion of Anterior Myocardial Infarction: A Phase 2 Study. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 2023 Mar;23(2):207- 217. PM: 36757536.
Schnittman SR, Jung W, Fitch KV, Zanni MV, McCallum S, Lee JS, Shin S, Davis BJ, Fulda ES, Diggs MR, Giguel F, Chinchay R, Sheth AN, Fichtenbaum CJ, Malvestutto C, Aberg JA, Currier J, Lauffenburger DA, Douglas PS, Ribaudo HJ, Alter G, Grinspoon SK. Effect of host factors and COVID-19 infection on the humoral immune repertoire in treated HIV. JCI Insight 2023 Mar 8;8(5):e166848. PM: 36805331.
Selvaraj S, Kosiborod MN, Shah SH. Response by Selvaraj et al to Letter Regarding Article, “Metabolic Profiling of the Effects of Dapaglifozin in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction: DEFINE-HF.” Circulation 2023 Mar 14;147(11):922-923. PM: 36913500
Duke Heart Pulse March 12th 2023
Cheif’s Message
This week marks the start of March Madness – with Duke winning the ACC tournament, the NCAA tournament starting, and lots of excitement as many in our faculty start to go on spring breaks and vacations. This week we are blessed to have two visiting professors for important talks. Italo Biaggionni will be giving grand rounds on Tuesday on the importance of the sympathetic nervous system in obesity and hypertension. On Wednesday, we have Pat O’Gara giving the annual Reves Lecture in the morning 7-8 AM on “Research and Decision-Making at the Interface Between Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology” and Special Cardiology Grand Rounds at 5 pm on Asymptomatic Valve Disease. These talks and the week will be jam packed for our faculty and fellows. Hopefully many will have a chance to enjoy this season and these important topics and lectures.
Highlights of the week:
ACC.23: Intervention Helps Clinicians Meet Guidelines for Prescribing Diabetes, Heart Drugs
Patients who have diabetes and heart disease do best when both conditions are treated according to established guidelines, but far too many are not prescribed the effective therapies.
A recent study — designed and led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) and an academic steering committee — found that a coordinated care approach between cardiologists and diabetes specialists resulted in more patients receiving the recommended therapies. The study was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company.
The findings were presented March 6 at the 2023 American College of Cardiology scientific meeting and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“There’s a clear gap between what we know we should be doing and what is actually occurring in clinical practice,” said lead author Neha Pagidipati, MD, associate professor in the Division of Cardiology at Duke University School of Medicine and a member of the DCRI. “Our study demonstrates that coordinated, multi-disciplinary care can result in patients receiving the therapies that have been proven effective.”
Pagidipati and colleagues — including senior author Christopher Granger, MD, professor of medicine in Duke’s cardiology division and DCRI member – partnered with 43 cardiology clinics across the U.S. as part of a clinical trial titled COORDINATE-Diabetes.
The clinics were randomly assigned to provide usual care or to implement a multi-faceted intervention. It was designed to remove barriers that keep cardiology clinicians from prescribing medications recommended for patients with diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a narrowing of the arteries.
The recommended drug regimen includes high-intensity statins for cholesterol; angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers to lower blood pressure and protect heart and kidney health; and, for diabetes along with heart and kidney health, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and/or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.
The intervention required clinicians/clinics to:
- Assess barriers in the clinic that prevent or impede the patients from receiving the recommended prescriptions;
- Build interdisciplinary care teams to address barriers, including cardiologist, diabetes care specialists, pharmacists and others to address costs and access issues;
- Coordinate care between all participating clinicians and care teams;
- Provide clinician education through online learning modules and monthly calls to address questions and concerns;
- Provide feedback with real-time data, including comparative reports showing patient prescription numbers across all sites;
- Support patients with education tools about why the therapies are important and how they impact health markers.
More than 1,000 patients were enrolled and followed for up to 12 months. Among the clinics providing usual care, 14.5% patients were prescribed all the recommended therapies, while 37.9% of patients at the intervention sites received all three prescriptions.
“A 23-percent greater absolute use of three evidence-based therapies shows that coordinated efforts to implement effective therapies can result in markedly improved care,” Granger said. “Given the many treatments that are known to improve health, now the most important need is to generate high-level, randomized evidence to improve the use of these treatments. This is what we did in this trial.”
The study was not designed to measure the impact of the drug regimen on health risks, but an analysis showed that the intervention had a trend of risk reduction that would be expected with better use of the medications studied. Death or hospitalization for myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or urgent revascularization occurred in 23 of the intervention participants (5%) compared to 40 of the usual care participants (6.8%).
“This was an evaluation of an intervention to see if it could improve prescribing behavior for three proven, recommended therapies,” Pagidipati said. “It not only is effective, it is also scalable to clinical use in real-world settings.”
In addition to Pagidipati and Granger, study authors include Adam J. Nelson, Lisa A. Kaltenbach, Monica Leyva, Darren K. McGuire, Rodica Pop-Busui, Matthew A. Cavender, Vanita R. Aroda, Melissa L. Magwire, Caroline R. Richardson, Ildiko Lingvay, Julienne K. Kirk, Hussein R. Al-Khalidi, Laura Webb, Tanya Gaynor, Jonathan Pak, Cagri Senyucel, Renato D. Lopes, and Jennifer B. Green.
Pagidipati and Granger receive institutional research support from funders Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly; a full listing of author conflicts is provided in the study manuscript.
The study was initiated and led by an academic steering committee. The two pharmaceutical funders participated in the design and conduct of the study, interpretation of the data, and review and approval of the manuscript.
Wrapping Up ACC.23
Congratulations to all of our Duke presenters on a very successful ACC!
Presenting fellows included: Willard Applefeld, Balim Senman, Kelly Arps, Anthony Peters, Jamie Diamond, Karen Flores Rosario, Joe Lerman, Josephine Harrington, and Jessica Duran.
Faculty speakers, panelists, and moderators included: Marat Fudim, Jason Katz, Karen Alexander, Neha Pagidipati, Pamela Douglas, Jenn Rymer, Schuyler Jones, Rob Mentz, Stephen Greene, Mike Felker, and Adam DeVore.
Overall, we had more than 25 speakers, 19 moderated sessions, 26 posters presented, and two Late-Breaking sessions. Lots of interviews were done — all news coverage appears below in our News section. Be sure to check it out!
Three Duke Cardiologists Ranked Among Best in the World for Science
Three of our cardiologists have made Research.com‘s first-ever list of top female scientists in the world. Congratulations go to Pamela S. Douglas, Yongmei Liu, and L. Kristin Newby!!!
The Research.com ranking of top female scientists in the world includes leading female scientists from all major areas of science. It is based on a meticulous examination of 166,880 scientists on Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Graph, according to the publication.
Douglas, Liu, and Newby are prolific researchers dedicated to their area of specialty within the cardiovascular space. They are among 13 women from Duke who made the list.
Pamela S. Douglas, the Ursula Geller Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases in the division of cardiology and a member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Douglas was recently awarded the 2022 James B. Herrick Award at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in November. She is past president of the American College of Cardiology and a tireless advocate for equity and diversity in healthcare.
Yongmei Liu, professor of medicine in cardiology and in population health sciences, is a member of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. Liu is a genetic epidemiologist whose primary interests are to better understand the molecular mechanisms of aging-related inflammatory diseases — including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Kristin Newby, professor of medicine in cardiology and a member of the DCRI, focuses her clinical research on on the process and treatment of acute and chronic coronary artery disease and systems issues for delivery of care to patients with these illnesses.
To see the full list, please visit: https://research.com/scientists-rankings/best-female-scientists.
Congratulations, Pam, Yongmei, and Kristin! This is outstanding news and well-deserved recognition.
Shout-out to Shadrin!
High praise this week goes out to cardiology fellow, Ilya Shadrin! We received a note this week from Anita Kelsey, which was shared with Anna Lisa Chamis and Lawrence Liao:
“I just wanted to take a moment to thank Ilya Shadrin who I worked with in the echo lab today. He was post call and doing procedures with Lawrence Laio, in the echo lab all day. At 5 pm, when he finished his regular day’s work, he went with 2 different sonographers to perform stat echocardiograms in the ED. He didn’t stop there in his dedication to our patients, he spoke with both teams taking care of the patients to make sure they knew the critical results found on the echocardiograms. Ilya should be recognized for going above and beyond for our patients. Way to go Ilya!” – Anita Kelsey
Solid work!
Fellow Presentations at Dean’s Research Series
Cardiology fellows Jessica Regan and Joe Lerman each presented posters on Thursday at the 2023 Dean’s Distinguished Research Series.
Jessica Regan presented Peroxisomal and Mitochondrial Metabolites Associate with Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential, while Joe Lerman presented Use of the SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System for donor heart preservation associated with Improved Short-Term Outcomes as comparted to the use of traditional cold storage in LVAD patients undergoing Heart Transplantation.
The Dean’s Research Series continues on Thursday, March 30 and Thursday, April 20. Full schedule and details can be found at medschool.duke.edu/research-series. The Zoom link for all faculty lectures is https://bit.ly/Duke-DDRS.
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
Well done, Jessica and Joe! Congratulations!
ICYMI: Morgenstern’s Featured in Working@Duke
Administrative manager for the division of cardiology Chris Morgenstern, and his wife, are featured in the latest issue of Working@Duke magazine. They’re shown in the lead story, Three Years Later: How the Pandemic Changed Us under ‘Rethinking What’s Most Important’.
Great photo, Chris! You can see the story here on Duke Today.
Quick Reminders
- This week is Patient Safety Awareness week, Pulmonary Rehabilitation week and Medical Genetics Awareness week; March is National Nutrition and Women’s History
- Please do not hold doors open for non-Duke Health employees! You’re not being rude, you’re maintaining safety for our patients and for each other.
- The Duke Health Quality and Safety Conference starts this week. Registration is required. There are virtual and in-person sessions. To learn more, visit: https://duke.is/5ek53.
- There will be an AANC site visit for DUH Magnet re-designation taking place March 28-31.
- Jacob Schroder is celebrating a birthday this month. Check out this amazing cake he received! Happy Birthday, Jacob!
DHIP update
Distribution of Employment Agreements for transitioning members is ongoing. Please monitor your inbox for critical communication from DHIP@duke.edu, your department chair, and Adobe Sign.
Reminder: The Duke Guarantee offers the minimum compensation each Member can expect to receive. Additional compensation opportunities which exist today will continue to be available to members within DHIP.
All members will be given four weeks to consider employment and sign their Employment Agreements.
Benefits:
- A benefits transition FAQ for PDC Direct staff is available on org.
- Information regarding Duke Benefits is available on SharePoint.
- All benefits related questions can be sent to DHIPBenefits@Duke.edu.
All other questions can be sent to DHIP@duke.edu, and all DHIP updates can be found at https://dhip.org.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
March 14: Role of Sympathetic Nervous System in Obesity Hypertension with Italo Biaggioni of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Zoom.
March 15: 17th Annual J.G. Reves, MD Lecture, Research and Decision-Making at the Interface Between Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology with Patrick O’Gara, Watkins Family Distinguished Chair in Cardiology and Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. 7 a.m., Duke North 2001 and via Zoom.
March 15: Asymptomatic Valvular Heart Disease with Patrick O’Gara, Watkins Family Distinguished Chair in Cardiology and Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. 5 p.m., Duke North 2002 and via Zoom.
March 21: What Can Sex Differences Teach Us about HFpEF ? with Emily S. Lau, Director, Cardiometabolic Health and Hormones Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School. 5 p.m., Zoom only.
Duke REACH Equity Center Funding Opportunities:
Research Voucher, Scholars Development, Transdisciplinary Think Tank
Now accepting applications through March 17 for July 2023 funding.
The Duke REACH Equity Center awards support students, trainees, and faculty who are interested in conducting research that promotes health equity. All proposals should broadly address the REACH Equity theme: to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health by improving the quality of patient-centered care in the clinical encounter across diseases, stages of illness, care settings, and throughout the life course. Proposals may include any research topic and method (quantitative, qualitative, etc.).
There are four funding opportunities:
The Research Vouchers Program will supplement currently funded research or support standalone research projects conducted by faculty at any level. Funding: One year, up to $12,500 per award.
- Full Research Vouchers Program RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Research Scholars Development Program is intended to support early-stage investigators (residents, fellows, postdoctoral students, nursing trainees, and other trainees at a similar career stage). Scholars work with a faculty mentor (identified by the trainee) to develop a research proposal and complete a project. Funding: Up to $5,000 for one- or two-year project per award.
- Full Research Scholars Development RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Transdisciplinary Think Tank (TTT) provides support to bring together faculty across disciplines who have a common interest in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in the clinical encounter. The TTT’s aim is to catalyze and support research related to the REACH Equity theme and to foster collaboration among health disparities researchers across Duke University. Funding: One year, up to $1,500 per award.
- The Full Transdisciplinary Think Tank RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Medical Student and Nursing Student Research Award is intended to support a third-year medical student or a third-year PhD nursing student conducting research related to the REACH Equity theme. Scholars work with a faculty mentor (identified by the student) to develop a research proposal and complete a project. Funding: Up to $5,000 for one-year project.
- Full Medical Student Research and Nursing Student Research Award and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
Application submission deadline: March 17 for July 2023 funding.
Email reachequitycenter@duke.edu with questions.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 28 — Victor Dzau
Medpage Today/The Doctor’s Art
Victor Dzau on Leading the National Academy of Medicine
https://duke.is/veu92
March 4 — John Alexander
tctMD
Clear CVD Benefit With Bempedoic Acid: CLEAR Outcomes
https://duke.is/c3usz
March 4 — John Alexander
The Washington Post
Cholesterol drug lowers heart attack risk, avoids muscle side effects
https://duke.is/j6uxq
March 4 — John Alexander
HCP Live
Bempedoic Acid Reduces Risk of MACE by 13%, But Proves No Benefit on Cardiovascular Death
https://duke.is/ycgkr
March 4 — John Alexander
CNN Health
Bempedoic acid improved heart health in patients who can’t tolerate statins, study finds
https://duke.is/rhspj
March 4 — John Alexander
Medscape
Bempedoic Acid Cuts CV Events in Statin-Intolerant Patients: CLEAR Outcomes
https://duke.is/5aryp
March 4 — John Alexander
Healio/Cardiology
Bempedoic acid an ‘effective alternative’ for statin-intolerant patients: CLEAR Outcomes
https://duke.is/nfsdf
March 4 — John Alexander
Fox News
New cholesterol pill, Nexletol, lowers heart attack risk for patients who can’t take statins: study
https://duke.is/pnre4
March 4 — John Alexander
The New York Times
A Statin Alternative Joins Drugs That Can Reduce Heart Attack Risk
https://duke.is/49wr6
March 4 — Pamela Douglas
tctMD
On-site Machine Learning-Based FFRCT Feasible, Informative: TARGET
https://duke.is/zug5y
March 4 — Manesh Patel
Healio/Cardiology
Imaging data may predict best responders to evolocumab therapy: YELLOW III
https://duke.is/m5sts
March 4 — Manesh Patel
Medpage Today
Atorvastatin Tied to Cardioprotection for Lymphoma Patients on Anthracyclines
https://duke.is/8hrx3
March 5 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Don’t Miss a Beat: Top Takeaways from NUDGE FLU at ACC 2023
https://duke.is/c6w8t
March 5 — John Alexander
Voice of America & Listin Dario (via AP)
¿No puedes tomar estatinas? Nueva píldora reduce el colesterol y los ataques cardíacos
https://duke.is/6x6na
March 5 — John Alexander
Daily Sabah
Opposed to statins? Novel pill lowers cholesterol, heart attack risk
https://duke.is/2rnqm
March 6 — John Alexander
El Vocero
Nueva pastilla podría reducir el colesterol alto y los infartos
https://duke.is/pks6q
March 6 — Neha Pagidipati
DAIC.com
Multifaceted Strategy Boosts Preventive Care for Diabetes, Heart Disease
https://duke.is/rbuzu
March 6 — John Alexander
BioPharmaDive
Esperion shares sink on highly anticipated heart drug results
https://duke.is/5gghj
March 6 — Neha Pagidipati
Cardiovascular Business
Day 3 at ACC.23 features late-breaking studies on pulsed-field ablation, other new technologies
https://duke.is/5gghj
March 6 — Neha Pagidipati
HCP Live
https://duke.is/begff
March 6 — Neha Pagidipati
MDEdge
COORDINATEd effort boosts optimal therapy in patients with T2D and ASCVD
https://duke.is/g3kab
March 7 — John Alexander
Popular Science
Safer statin alternative could be a better way to lower ‘bad’ cholesterol levels
https://duke.is/44sgx
March 7 — Neha Pagidipati and Kristen Campbell
tctMD
Multifaceted Approach to COORDINATE Diabetes Care Improves GDMT
https://duke.is/98r96
March 7 — John Alexander
Medscape
https://duke.is/jfvce
March 8 — Stephen Greene
Healio/Cardiology
Lower use of guideline-recommended HF therapies at rural vs. urban hospitals
https://duke.is/6z3gm
March 8 — Manesh Patel
tctMD
HALO: Baxdrostat No Better Than Placebo in Uncontrolled Hypertension
https://duke.is/ps9wv
March 8 — Tony Gutierrez
Mental Floss
Can You Really Laugh Yourself to Death?
https://duke.is/54vqy
March 8 — Brittany Zwischenberger
Medscape
Worse Cardiac Outcomes Persist for Women: What’s the Problem?
https://duke.is/ngavq
March 9 — Brittany Zwischenberger
Espanol News
Peores resultados cardíacos persisten para las mujeres: ¿cuál es el problema?
https://duke.is/b58br
March 9 — Jason Katz
Medscape/InDiscussion HF Podcast (Ep. 4)
How to Mix Touch and Tech in Advanced Heart Failure
https://duke.is/cq9xj
March 9 — Nishant Shah
ACC.org
Division of Cardiology Publications: March 2-8, 2023
Ackerson BG, Sperduto W, D’Anna R, Niedzwiecki D, Christensen J, Patel P, Mullikin TC, Kelsey CR. Divergent Interpretations of Imaging After Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer. Pract Radiat Oncol 2023 ;13(2):e126-e133. PM: 36375770.
Friedman DJ, Al-Khatib SM, Dalgaard F, Fudim M, Abraham WT, Cleland JGF, Curtis AB, Gold MR, Kutyifa V, Linde C, Tang AS, Ali-Ahmed F, Olivas- Martinez A, Inoue LYT, Sanders GD. Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Improves Outcomes in Patients With Intraventricular Conduction Delay But Not Right Bundle Branch Block: A Patient-Level Meta- Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Circulation 2023 Mar 7;147(10):812-823. PM: 36700426.
Hlatky MA, Wilding S, Stuart B, Nicholas Z, Shambrook J, Eminton Z, Fox K, Connolly D, O’Kane P, Hobson A, Chauhan A, Uren N, Mccann GP, Berry C, Carter J, Roobottom C, Mamas M, Rajani R, Ford I, Douglas PS, Curzen N. Randomized comparison of chest pain evaluation with FFR or standard care: Factors determining US costs. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2023 ;17(1):52-59. PM: 36216700.
Jain V, Maqsood MH, Siddiqi TJ, Siddiqi AK, Baloch ZQ, Kittleson MM, Fudim M, Felker GM, Greene SJ, Butler J, Khan MS. Trajectory of Decongestion and Mortality in Young Adults with Acute Heart Failure. Curr Probl Cardiol 2023 Apr;48(4):101579. PM: 36592843.
Kaniusas E, Fudim M, Czura CJ, Panetsos F. Editorial: Neuromodulation in COVID-19: From basic research to clinical applications. Front Physiol 2023 Feb 16;14:1148819. PM: 36875048.
Ostrer IR, Wang TY. Are We Ready for Prehospital Troponin Testing? JAMA Intern Med 2023 Mar 1;183(3):211-212. PM: 36716048.
Sadeghpour A, Kim H, Chamis AL. Undiagnosed Atrial Septal Defect in the Setting of Comorbidities and Ventricular Failure: Seemingly Simple Disease with a Challenging Diagnosis. CASE (Phila) 2022 Nov 21;7(2):72-80. PM: 36861103.
Talha KM, Jain V, Yamani N, Fatima K, Rashid AM, Hernandez GA, Dani SS, Fudim M, Minhas AMK. Temporal Trends and Outcomes of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Heart Failure and Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States. Curr Probl Cardiol 2023 Apr;48(4):101548. PM: 36566952.
Division of Cardiology Publications: February 23 – March 1, 2023
Badhwar V, Chikwe J, Gillinov AM, Vemulapalli S, O’Gara PT, Mehaffey JH, Wyler von Ballmoos M, Bowdish ME, Gray EL, O’Brien SM, Thourani VH, Shahian DM, Habib RH. Risk of Surgical Mitral Valve Repair for Primary Mitral Regurgitation. Ann Thorac Surg 2023 Mar;115(3):600-610. PM: 36669963.
Chew DS, Piccini JP, Au F, Frazier-Mills CG, Michalski J, Varma N. Alert-driven vs scheduled remote monitoring of implantable cardiac defibrillators: A cost-consequence analysis from the TRUST trial. Heart Rhythm 2023 Mar;20(3):440-447. PM: 36503177.
Docherty KF, McMurray JJV, Claggett BL, Miao ZM, Adams KF, Arias-Mendoza A, Cleland JGF, Diaz R, Echeverria Correa LE, Felker GM, Fonseca C, Li J, Metra M, Sliwa-Hahnle K, Solomon SD, Vandekerckhove HJ, Vinereanu D, Voors AA, Heitner SB, Kupfer S, Malik FI, Meng L, Teerlink JR. Efficacy of omecamtiv mecarbil in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction according to N-terminal pro-B- type natriuretic peptide level: insights from the GALACTIC-HF trial. Eur J Heart Fail 2023 Feb;25(2):248-259. PM: 36597719.
Du J, Zhou X, Clark-Boucher D, Hao W, Liu Y, Smith JA, Mukherjee B. Methods for large-scale single mediator hypothesis testing: Possible choices and comparisons. Genet Epidemiol 2023 Mar;47(2):167-184. PM: 36465006.
Felker GM, North R, Mulder H, Jones WS, Anstrom KJ, Patel MJ, Butler J, Ezekowitz JA, Lam C, O’Connor CM, Roessig L, Hernandez AF, Armstrong PW. Clinical Implications of Negatively Adjudicated Heart Failure Events: Data From the VICTORIA Study. Circulation 2023 Feb 21;147(8):694-696. PM: 36802884.
Go AS, Al-Khatib SM, Desvigne-Nickens P, Bansal N, Bushnell CD, Fang MC, Freeman JV, Gage BF, Hanke T, Hylek EM, Lopes RD, Noseworthy PA, Reddy VY, Singer DE, Thomas KL, True Hills M, Turakhia MP, Zieman SJ, Cooper LS, Benjamin EJ. Research Opportunities in Stroke Prevention for Atrial Fibrillation: A Report From a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Virtual Workshop. Stroke 2023 Mar;54(3):e75-e85. PM: 36848427.
Harrington J, Piccini JP, Alexander JH, Granger CB, Patel MR. Clinical Evaluation of Factor XIa Inhibitor Drugs: JACC Review Topic of the Week. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023 Feb 28;81(8):771-779. PM: 36813377.
Marquis-Gravel G, Faulkner M, Merritt G, Farrehi P, Zemon N, Robertson HR, Jones WS, Kraschnewski J. Importance of patient engagement in the conduct of pragmatic multicenter randomized controlled trials: The ADAPTABLE experience. Clin Trials 2023 Feb;20(1):31-35. PM: 35999816.
Moulson N, Petek BJ, Baggish AL, Harmon KG, Kliethermes SA, Patel MR, Churchill TW, Drezner JA. The Cardiac Effects of COVID-19 on Young Competitive Athletes: Results from the Outcomes Registry for Cardiac Conditions in Athletes (ORCCA). J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2023 Feb 6;10(2):72. PM: 36826568.
Parikh RV, Hebbe A, Barón AE, Grunwald GK, Plomondon ME, Gordin J, Yeh RW, Jneid H, Swaminathan RV, Waldo SW, Monto A, Secemsky E, Hsue PY. Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes Among People Living With HIV Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the Veterans Affairs Clinical Assessment, Reporting, and Tracking Program. J Am Heart Assoc 2023 Feb21;12(4):e028082. PM: 36789851.
Peikert A, Claggett BL, Kim K, Udell JA, Joseph J, Desai AS, Farkouh ME, Hegde SM, Hernandez AF, Bhatt DL, Gaziano JM, Talbot HK, Yancy C, Anand I, Mao L, Cooper LS, Solomon SD, Vardeny O. Association of post-vaccination adverse reactions after influenza vaccine with mortality and cardiopulmonary outcomes in patients with high-risk cardiovascular disease: the INVESTED trial. Eur J Heart Fail 2023 Feb;25(2):299-310. PM: 36335639.
Porras Fimbres DC, Patel P, Li G, Ronald JSC, Martin JG. Factors Predictive of Failure of Medical Management in Spontaneous Rectus Sheath Hematoma. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2023 Mar;34(3):493-494. PM: 36563932.
Rao VN, Shah A, McDermott J, Barnes SG, Murray EM, Kelsey MD, Greene SJ, Fudim M, DeVore AD, Patel CB, Blazing MA, O’Brien C, Mentz RJ. In-Hospital Virtual Peer-to-Peer Consultation to Increase Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Heart Failure: A Pilot Randomized Trial. Circ Heart Fail 2023Feb;16(2):e010158. PM: 36314130.
Rosa RG, Cavalcanti AB, Azevedo LCP, Veiga VC, de Souza D, Dos Santos RDRM, Schardosim RFC, Rech GS, Trott G, Schneider D, Robinson CC, Haubert TA, Pallaoro VEL, Brognoli LG, de Souza AP, Costa LS, Barroso BM, Pelliccioli MP, Gonzaga J, Studier NDS, Dagnino APA, Neto JM, da Silva SS, Gimenes BDP, Dos Santos VB, Estivalete GPM, Pellegrino CM, Polanczyk CA, Kawano-Dourado L, Tomazini BM, Lisboa TC, Teixeira C, Zampieri FG, Zavascki AP, Gersh BJ, Avezum Á, Machado FR, Berwanger O, Lopes RD, Falavigna M. Association between acute disease severity and one-year quality of life among post-hospitalisation COVID-19 patients: Coalition VII prospective cohort study. Intensive Care Med 2023 Feb;49(2):166-177. PM: 36594987.
Selvaraj S, Greene SJ, Ayodele I, Alhanti B, Allen LA, Lewsey SC, Adusumalli S, Reza N, Hernandez AF, Yancy CW, Jena AB, Fonarow GC, Bhatt DL. Assessing Heuristic Bias During Care for Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure: Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure. Circ Heart Fail 2023 Feb;16(2):e010069. PM: 36458538.
Sun K, Eudy AM, Rogers JL, Criscione-Schreiber LG, Sadun RE, Doss J, Maheswaranathan M, Barr AC, Eder L, Corneli AL, Bosworth HB, Clowse MEB. Pilot Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence Among Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Using Pharmacy Refill Data. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2023Mar;75(3):550-558. PM: 34739191.
Turer AT, Wang A. Cardiac Myosin Inhibitors: Unlocking Potential to Improve Treatment in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Circulation 2023 Feb 28;147(9):700-702. PM: 36848411.
Uriel N, Milano C, Agarwal R, Lee S, Cleveland J, Goldstein D, Wang A, Crandall D, Mehra MR. Incidence and clinical correlates of de-novo aortic regurgitation with a fully magnetically levitated left ventricular assist device: a MOMENTUM 3 trial portfolio analysis. Eur J Heart Fail 2023 Feb;25(2):286-294. PM: 36404406.
Vargas LB, Lange LA, Ferrier K, Aguet F, Ardlie K, Gabriel S, Gupta N, Smith JD, Blackwell TW, Ding J, Durda P, Tracy RP, Liu Y, Taylor KD, Craig Johnson W, Rich SS, Rotter JI, Lange EM, Konigsberg IR. Gene expression associations with body mass index in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Int J Obes (Lond) 2023 Feb;47(2):109-116. PM: 36463326.
Wang X, Vaduganathan M, Claggett BL, Hegde SM, Pabon M, Kulac IJ, Vardeny O, O’Meara E, Zieroth S, Katova T, McGrath MM, Pouleur AC, Jhund PS, Desai AS, Inzucchi SE, Kosiborod MN, de Boer RA, Kober L, Sabatine MS, Martinez FA, Ponikowski P, Shah SJ, Hernandez AF, Langkilde AM, McMurray JJV, Solomon SD, Lam CSP. Sex Differences in Characteristics, Outcomes, and Treatment Response With Dapagliflozin Across the Range of Ejection Fraction in Patients With Heart Failure: Insights From DAPA-HF and DELIVER. Circulation 2023 Feb 21;147(8):624-634. PM: 36342789.
Wolder LD, Graff C, Baadsgaard KH, Langgaard ML, Polcwiartek C, Ji-Young Lee C, Skov MW, Torp-Pedersen C, Friedman DJ, Atwater B, Overvad TF, Nielsen JB, Hansen SM, Sogaard P, Kragholm KH. Electrocardiographic P terminal force in lead V1, its components, and the association with stroke and atrial
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Duke Heart Center Pulse – March 5th 2024
Highlights of the week:
March & ACC.23
We hope everyone is having a great weekend – on this first weekend of March, what could be better than seeing our colleagues in person at #ACC.23 in New Orleans? That Blue Devil win over Carolina last night was just the icing on the cake!
A few things to know as we kick off the month: U.S. News Best Hospitals Voting is currently open and underway in Doximity. Check your account and vote! Also, March is National Nutrition Month, Women’s History Month, and Wednesday (3/8) is International Women’s Day. A shout-out to all the women throughout Duke Heart!
In ACC.23 news thus far, across Duke Heart and Duke Clinical Research Institute:
- 2 Late-Breaking sessions
- 6+ Presentations
- 19 Moderated sessions
- 26+ Poster sessions
- 25+ Speaker/Oral contributions
Regarding the work our fellows are presenting throughout ACC, please try to attend their session if you are able to do so:
Sunday 3/5:
9:00 am-12:00 pm: Willard Applefeld, Balim Senman; Learn By Doing: Immersive Simulation Experiences in Critical Care Cardiology, Telemedicine, HOCM, and Syncope Management (session 303-02, 303-25 Personalized Skills Center Simulation Station).
12:15-12:20 pm: Kelly Arps; Electrical storm: Interdisciplinary Approach to Care (case presentation & panelist session 673, Rm 357)
12:45-1:30 pm: Anthony Peters; Characteristics and outcomes of trial-eligible vs ineligible patients with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (session 1560-161, Poster Hall, Hall F)
Monday 3/6:
9:00-11:00 am: Balim Senman; Learn By Doing: Immersive Simulation Experiences in Critical Care Cardiology, Telemedicine, HOCM, and Syncope Management (session 305-1, Personalized Skills Center Simulation Station).
9:45-9:55 am: Jamie Diamond; Characterizing the digital divide & access to mobile health interventions in heart failure: insights from the CONNECT-HF MHEALTH substudy (session 1081-03 Pulmonary Vascular Disease/Valvular Heart Disease/Special Topics Moderated Poster Theater 4_Hall F)
9:45-9:55 am: Karen Flores Rosario; ACC Complex Clinical Cases: Mimicking the great mimicker: LMNA cardiomyopathy presenting as isolated cardiac sarcoidosis (session 1084-03, Complex Clinical Cases Moderated Poster Theater 6_Hall F)
10:00-10:10 am: Joe Lerman; Early post-transplant outcomes in LVAD patients undergoing heart transplant via use of the SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System as compared with traditional cold storage: Insights from the GUARDIAN registry (session 1077, Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies Moderated Poster Theater 9_Hall F)
3:20-3:30 pm: Willard Applefeld; Top Developments in Critical Care Cardiology (session 454-11, Rm 245)
Congratulations to the follows who presented yesterday, 3/4:
Willard Applefeld; Decoding the ABCs of the Cardiac ICU and Learn By Doing: Immersive Simulation Experiences in Critical Care Cardiology, Telemedicine, HOCM, and Syncope Management
Josephine Harrington; Applicability of the GALACTIC-HF trial and omecamtiv mecarbil to patients hospitalized for heart failure in the United States: from the GWTG-HF registry and Proteomic markers of cardiac fibrosis and endothelial function associated with heart failure in patients with diabetes: an EXSCEL biomarker sub-study
Jessica Duran; Bedside Risk Prediction of Adverse Outcomes in Medically Treated Patients with Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation
Duke Periop Echo is First in U.S. to Receive IAC Accreditation
We are excited to share that our perioperative echocardiography service has received accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). In a letter sent this week by Katherine Gibson, RDCS, director of accreditation – echocardiography for the IAC to Dr. Alina Nicoara, cardiac anesthesiologist and director of the Perioperative Echocardiography service, Gibson wrote, “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on seeking and achieving Echocardiography accreditation by the IAC. You and your staff are to be commended for demonstrating your facility’s pursuit of excellence in documenting quality patient care in the field of Echocardiography. Upon receipt and review of recently submitted material, your facility has been awarded accreditation in Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography.”
Gibson went on to add, “Duke University Medical Center is the first to achieve this designation. Congratulations!”
“We are thrilled to have received the seal of accreditation from the IAC and grateful for a legacy of excellence in perioperative echocardiography starting with Dr. Fiona Clemens and Dr. Joseph Kisslo, and continuing with Dr. Joseph Mathew, and Dr. Madhav Swaminathan,” said Nicoara, who is Director, Perioperative Echocardiography. “This could not have been achieved without sustained collaboration with our colleagues, cardiologists, and sonographers, and support from the Heart Center. We are also looking forward to working together with other imaging modalities accredited by the IAC within the Duke Heart Center towards achieving a Center of Quality status through joint quality improvement programs.” image
We reached out to both Madhav Swaminathan, MD and Mihai Podgoreanu, MD for their thoughts on the accreditation news.
“IAC accreditation in perioperative echo is a significant milestone in the rich history of Duke Echocardiography. From pioneering echo in the operating room in the early ‘90s with Joe Kisslo and Fiona Clements, to the establishment of quality improvement guidelines led by Joseph Mathew, to now being the nation’s first periop accredited echo lab, Duke CT Anesthesia remains a leader and beacon of excellence in perioperative echo. Dr. Alina Nicoara led this effort with remarkable perseverance, while Ashlee Davis, in the CDU, was instrumental in helping us achieve this milestone. Congratulations to the entire group!” — Madhav Swaminathan, MD
“The evolution of the Duke Perioperative Echocardiography Program is a history of firsts. From the early pioneers who introduced echocardiography to the cardiac surgical operating rooms (Drs. Norbert de Bruijn, Fiona Clements and Joe Kisslo), to national leadership in standardizing image acquisition and interpretation, to development of the first digital database and reporting for perioperative echocardiography (Dr. Joseph Mathew), to the first anesthesiologist president of the American Society of Echocardiography (Dr. Madhav Swaminathan). Befittingly, as a continuation of its trailblazing tradition, Duke is the first program in the nation to be accredited by the IAC under the leadership and vision of its current Director, Dr. Alina Nicoara. Congratulations to the team and all the Duke Heart collaborators!” — Mihai Podgoreanu, MD
Duke’s rich history in and contributions to echocardiography continue! Well done, all!
D’Amico Selected for TBJ Award
Please join us in congratulating thoracic surgeon Thomas A. D’Amico, MD! On Friday, we learned he has been named one of 14 winners of the Triangle Business Journal’s 2023 Health Care Leadership Awards. D’Amico, the Gary Hock Endowed Professor of Surgery and a faculty member within Duke’s Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, is one of four award winners from across Duke University Health System. The winners will be celebrated during an awards dinner on April 13th, when they will also learn more details about their nomination and the category in which they are being awarded. We look forward to sharing more details at that time.
Congratulations, Dr. D’Amico!
CTO 2023 Held
The 2023 Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) conference, organized by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, was held Feb. 23-24 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City.
Jennifer Rymer, MD, presented research conducted by herself and Drs. Izzy Othman, Caitlin Drescher, Schuyler Jones, and Anna Lisa Chamis on the use of MRI to assess viability for CTOs; their abstract, Utilization of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Management of Coronary Chronic Total Occlusions, received top abstract designation by the conference and was presented during the Award-winning Abstract Presentations section of the conference.
Way to go!
Update: Relocation of DUH Unit 7100 Scheduled for April
The relocation date for Duke University Hospital Unit 7100 has been scheduled for April 14th. This is for the renovation of DUH bed tower 100, which is currently in the process of being renovated. Unit 7100 will be relocated to Duke North 2200 (a 16-bed unit) and 3200 (also a 16-bed unit) in April.
Kudos to McVeigh, Kamneva & Members of 2F2G
Several members of our Heart Failure multidisciplinary team in 2F2G were called into action this week for a code blue. We received comments about several team members for how well each of them handled a difficult situation:
“Having Oksana (Kamneva) in clinic today was a godsend and she did an amazing job in the support of our clinic staff and medication administration. We cannot thank her enough for her support, especially being brand new in her role. Todd McVeigh absolutely deserves recognition for everything that he did throughout entire code, and his follow up care and compassion with the family after. He was truly remarkable in his care, and we were lucky to have him here.” – Jamie Hilton, nurse manager, operations
The 2F2G team demonstrated excellent teamwork and compassionate care – thank you for all you do, especially during difficult experiences.
Kudos to Diaz!
We received a note this week from Dr. Mihai Podgoreanu regarding one of our perfusion team members, Sebastian Diaz, who serves as associate chief of Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS).
“The recent OR case with a high-risk patient reminded me to highlight Sebastian’s many contributions to our overall Duke Heart team work. His knowledge, engagement, professionalism and communication style are superlative, whether in the CTOR or CTICU. He is a model of compassion, and always willing to pay it forward by educating others. I wanted to take a moment to recognize and celebrate him.” – Mihai Podgoreanu, MD
Excellent work, Sebastian! Well-deserved praise!
Shout-out to MRI team!
We received some warm feedback this week from a patient regarding members of our MRI team. The patient has a background in clinical care and wanted to send their thanks. In a note to Jill Engel and Mary Lindsey, the patient wrote:
“Good morning, I wanted to share with you the wonderful experience I had with my stress MRI last Thursday morning. I was pretty nervous, as sometimes our experience working in the clinical world causes our minds to go places we wish they wouldn’t.
I had the best experience with Tracy, as the nurse who got me prepped and ready for the MRI, she was the first person to put me at ease. Nester was awesome as well. He explained everything, and everything he said was exactly what I experienced. He and Julie made me feel very comfortable throughout the MRI, as did Tracy when we did the stress portion of the exam. I do not recall the names of the Radiologists but they were also so great at explaining exactly what was going to happen and it made the entire experience much easier, being my first time having any type of MRI.
I just wanted to let you both know, being clinical in my previous life I know the clinical teams don’t always hear when they are doing a great job and I wanted to share. Thank you.” – a grateful patient (name withheld to protect their privacy)
We have the best teams throughout Duke Heart! Keep up the great work!
Dean’s Distinguished Research Series 2023
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. Formerly called “Research Week”, the reimagined series will be held in-person and live-streamed. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
March 9:
Trainee Poster Session, 2:30 – 4 p.m., 6th Floor, Trent Semans Center for Health Education
Faculty Lectures, 4 – 5 p.m., 6th Floor, Trent Semans Center for Health Education.
Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH, director of Duke Global Health Institute, and Keisha Bentley-Edwards, PhD, associate director of research, Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity will present. Light bites and refreshments provided on a first-come, first-served basis. (live stream available: https://duke.is/vgf7u)
For the full schedule, please visit https://medschool.duke.edu/research/deans-distinguished-research-series-2023.
DHIP update
Distribution of Employment Agreements for transitioning members is ongoing. Please monitor your inbox for critical communication from DHIP@duke.edu, your department chair, and Adobe Sign.
Reminder: The Duke Guarantee offers the minimum compensation each Member can expect to receive. Additional compensation opportunities which exist today will continue to be available to members within DHIP.
All members will be given four weeks to consider employment and sign their Employment Agreements.
Benefits:
- A benefits transition FAQ for PDC Direct staff is available on org.
- Information regarding Duke Benefits is available on SharePoint.
- All benefits related questions can be sent to DHIPBenefits@Duke.edu.
All other questions can be sent to DHIP@duke.edu, and all DHIP updates can be found at https://dhip.org.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
March 14: Topic TBA with Italo Biaggioni of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Zoom.
Duke REACH Equity Center Funding Opportunities:
Research Voucher, Scholars Development, Transdisciplinary Think Tank
Now accepting applications through March 17 for July 2023 funding.
The Duke REACH Equity Center awards support students, trainees, and faculty who are interested in conducting research that promotes health equity. All proposals should broadly address the REACH Equity theme: to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health by improving the quality of patient-centered care in the clinical encounter across diseases, stages of illness, care settings, and throughout the life course. Proposals may include any research topic and method (quantitative, qualitative, etc.).
There are four funding opportunities:
The Research Vouchers Program will supplement currently funded research or support standalone research projects conducted by faculty at any level. Funding: One year, up to $12,500 per award.
- Full Research Vouchers Program RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Research Scholars Development Program is intended to support early-stage investigators (residents, fellows, postdoctoral students, nursing trainees, and other trainees at a similar career stage). Scholars work with a faculty mentor (identified by the trainee) to develop a research proposal and complete a project. Funding: Up to $5,000 for one- or two-year project per award.
- Full Research Scholars Development RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Transdisciplinary Think Tank (TTT) provides support to bring together faculty across disciplines who have a common interest in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in the clinical encounter. The TTT’s aim is to catalyze and support research related to the REACH Equity theme and to foster collaboration among health disparities researchers across Duke University. Funding: One year, up to $1,500 per award.
- The Full Transdisciplinary Think Tank RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Medical Student and Nursing Student Research Award is intended to support a third-year medical student or a third-year PhD nursing student conducting research related to the REACH Equity theme. Scholars work with a faculty mentor (identified by the student) to develop a research proposal and complete a project. Funding: Up to $5,000 for one-year project.
- Full Medical Student Research and Nursing Student Research Award and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
Application submission deadline: March 17 for July 2023 funding.
Email reachequitycenter@duke.edu with questions.
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 23 — Duke University School of Nursing
StudyFinds.org
Best Nursing Schools For 2023: Top 5 Schools Most Recommended By Experts
https://duke.is/pjgfv
February 24 — Joseph Turek
WFMY CBS-2 (Greensboro)
Grey’s Anatomy features Duke Health Surgery in mid-season premiere
https://duke.is/4zsg2
February 27 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Heart Failure Community Argues for Omecamtiv Mecarbil Approval, Citing Unmet Need
https://duke.is/9srwy
February 27 — Duke Health/RACE CARS
WGPH Fox-8 (Greensboro)
https://duke.is/28vc6
*clip begins @ 09:23:10
February 27 — Duke School of Medicine
Becker’s ASC Review
10 top-ranked medical schools for surgeons, per US News
https://duke.is/gpu4b
March 1 — Joseph Turek, M. Louise Markert and Laura Hale
Gizmodo
A New Heart-Thymus Transplant Could Someday Let Kids Live Without Anti-Rejection Drugs
https://duke.is/vund4
March 1 — Brittany Zwischenberger
Medpage Today
Women Still Face Higher Risks for Mortality After CABG
https://duke.is/rurf8
March 1 — Brittany Zwischenberger
JAMA News
https://duke.is/53xqz
March 2 — Adrian Hernandez
Medpage Today
Stella Immanuel Highest U.S. Prescriber of Ivermectin and HCQ
https://duke.is/6cv82
March 2 — Duke Cardiology/Duke University Hospital
Newsweek
World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2023
https://duke.is/pruby
Duke Heart week ending February 26th 2023
Highlights of the week:
Wrapping Up Heart Month
Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate Heart Month by spreading awareness about heart disease, how to prevent it, and how to successfully manage it! Thanks especially to each and every team member for all you are doing as a contributor to the great work being done throughout Duke Heart!
This past week, on Tuesday, Feb. 21, Nishant Shah, MD, presented on a topic he’s passionate about — heart disease prevention. He’s a believer in getting these messages out at critical times and what better time than in the early learning years? Shah had a fully engaged and captivated audience of children at All Starz Children’s Academy in Cary. He dressed in scrubs and his white lab coat for presentations throughout the day to about 166 preschoolers about how the heart works and how to live a heart-healthy lifestyle.
“We went through pictures of heart anatomy, talked about important fruits and vegetables to keep the heart healthy, did some stretches and exercise, and learned about the importance of a good night’s sleep for heart health,” said Shah. “In the afternoon the kids got to do some coloring of a picture of real human heart as well. It certainly is never too early to talk about cardiovascular disease prevention and Heart Month is a great time to kick off the conversation! Primordial prevention for the win!”
Shah brought stethoscopes and disposable surgical caps with him so that not only could the kids “dress up” by wearing the bonnets, they could listen to their own heartbeat.
“They loved it and it was great to see the excitement on their faces,” Shah added.
Melissa Brown, a director at All Starz Academy concurred.
“When Dr. Shah mentioned that February was Heart Month and that he was interested in presenting to our kids, we thought it was a fantastic idea,” she said. “It was a huge hit. Dr. Shah did a great job balancing information with activity — he had them dress up with surgical caps, and they did some physical activities like jumping jacks. His presentation was very well designed for the ages of kids we have here. The younger ones, of course, their attention span is less but they still enjoyed it. We’d repeat this again in years to come, just because it was such a big hit with them.”
Brown said the enthusiasm lasted all week long. “From what I’ve overheard the kids talking about, I think the biggest thing they took away is excitement about healthy eating and how it makes the heart grow big and strong — and that when the heart is big and strong, you’re a healthier human. They picked up important information about how to keep their bodies healthy. I heard our kids saying things like, ‘if I eat these my heart is going to get big and strong’ and also ‘things like this are not good for me to eat.’ They definitely were paying attention!”
The Academy has typically had professional police officers, firefighters, and dentists come in to see the kids and do demonstrations – but never a cardiologist. Brown said they were thrilled to showcase Heart Month this way and would welcome further opportunities.
Way to go, Nishant! Here are some great photos from his day at All Starz Children’s Academy.
On Wednesday evening, Manesh Patel was the invited presenter by the Triangle American Heart Association to give a “Deep Dive” on the major science news that came out of the 2022 AHA Scientific Sessions, which allowed him to also discuss some important research our Duke Heart team is working on. The Zoom session was held by our local AHA for their Board members. Also invited to participate were members of our Heart Center Leadership Council and members of our Patient & Family Advisory Council. The presentation was followed by a number of great questions from the audience!
Concluding the week, we received a terrific annual recap of the many successes of our Duke Electrophysiology team from Jonathan Piccini, MD, including these stats:
For calendar year 2022, the Duke EP Team performed:
- 6644 in-person device interrogations
- 5% increase from 2021
- 18,761 remote device interrogations
- 13% increase from 2021
- 1233 device implants at Duke University Hospital
- 12% increase from 2021
- 1192 EP study/ablation procedures at Duke University Hospital
- 11% increase from 2021
- 749 AF ablations in the Duke University Health System
- 12% increase from 2021
- 44 left atrial appendage closure procedures at Duke University Hospital
- 150+ lead extraction procedures at Duke University Hospital
- >10% increase from 2021
Incredible numbers from a stellar team! We look forward to sharing many more of their accomplishments!
Newly Published Book Features Chapter by Duke APPs
Three of our APPs are co-authors of chapters in the newly published Textbook for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (published by Springer Publishing). Stephanie Barnes, Callie Tennyson, and Jaime McDermott wrote the chapters on Acute Coronary Syndromes and Heart Failure.
“Nearly 100 expert authors who discuss the evidence-based gold standards for diagnostics and tests for optimal detection of multisystem disorders, patient management, and transitions of care. In these chapters, learners will gain a greater understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of acute and critical illnesses, and the latest in advanced pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies… We congratulate the Editors and chapter authors for their efforts in developing a clearly outlined and accurate text for AGACNP use—truly the first of its kind.”
We love that the expertise of our Duke Heart nurse practitioners is highly sought after! Congratulations, Steph, Callie and Jaime!!!
ICYMI: Thomas Featured in Klotman’s Friday Message
Cardiac Electrophysiologist Kevin Thomas, MD, vice dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer was interviewed recently by Duke School of Medicine Dean Mary Klotman, MD for one of her weekly Friday messages (Feb. 10, 2023) — this one in celebration of Black History Month. It’s definitely worth checking out! https://duke.is/wd5x5
Partial Heart Transplant Featured in ABC Drama
One of the storylines in Thursday night’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy (9 p.m., ABC) featured a partial heart transplant. The only two such procedures completed to date have both taken place at Duke University Hospital. The procedure was pioneered at Duke by pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Joseph Turek and his team. The writers and producers of Grey’s Anatomy reached out to Dr. Turek for his input in order to assure medical accuracy in their script as well as the imagery they planned to use.
Cool work, Joe!
Kudos to All Cardiology Fellows
A tremendous shout-out to each one of our cardiology fellows for their understanding, patience and compassion this week after a bit of a snafu with the paging system. One of the nurses in the Duke Birthing Center accidently paged the entire team instead of the fellow on-call, and to her great surprise, everyone reacted with kindness. (We are not surprise by this, of course!)
In a note she sent to Toi Spates and shared with Cary Ward, she wrote:
“First, I would like to say that each interaction I have had with you, Toi, has been incredibly professional, polite, and educational. Your team has shown incredible respect towards our triage nursing team, and we do appreciate that. Your patience does not go unnoticed.
Today, we received a call from the clinic alerting us that they were sending a patient who was very concerning to them. We never know how concerned we should be until we see that patient in person. [In preparing for a consult,] I mistakenly sent out a page to the wrong group. When I realized what I had done, my heart sank, and the phone started ringing. I held my breath to prepare to apologize and take the heat, but it never came. Every single provider who returned my page, (within five minutes or less) was kind, understanding, and half of them even offered to help me! Some offered to help me find the correct pager number, others asked who I specifically was looking for, and another asked for the MRN in order to be prepared to assist us in the event that no one was available. I could not answer the phone fast enough. With each call, I waited for the reprimand that never came. I wanted to provide a BIG THANK YOU! Also, I am so pleasantly surprised by how I was treated today.” – a grateful nurse
What a great reminder that kindness is always welcome and that you can always, always make someone’s day better as a result. GREAT JOB!!
Kudos to Osude!
In a note from Fawaz Alenezi, MD to Anna Lisa Chamis, MD this week, we received a great shout-out for Dr. Kiki Osude! Photo
“Kiki made my day very easy. We had 10 TEEs and 2 CVs. I really appreciate her professional work.” — Fawaz
Shout-out to Loriaux!
We received some nice feedback this week on Dan Loriaux via messages Anna Lisa Chamis received from both the Neuro ICU AND from the SICU. (photo)
In an email from Shreyansh Shah, MD, of the Neuro ICU, we heard “This week as we celebrate contributions of our GME trainees to patient care, education and research, I wanted to share this special kudos from the Neuro ICU team for a very impressive Critical Care fellow, Dr. Daniel Loriaux who our team got to work with this past month.
Over the last month, Daniel has received multiple kudos from his team members, Neuro ICU nursing staff, and patient’s family members for his kind demeanor, his patient-centric care, his collaborative nature, and for creating an environment of trust during his time in the Neuro ICU. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with him and we wish him all the best!”
And, “I had the pleasure of working with Dan Loriaux this past week in the SICU. I was impressed with his knowledge base, kindness, compassion, and procedural skills. He was constantly wanting to learn more throughout the week, was always happy to teach residents and APPs, and has some of the better ultrasound/procedural skills I’ve seen from any fellow I’ve worked with at Duke. More importantly, he seems like a good person and listened closely to all team members whenever concerns were expressed. He has a rare combination of humbleness and skill. Happy to speak to either of you more to help facilitate this young man’s career however I can.” — Nitin Mehdiratta, MD, critical care anesthesiologist and medical director of the Duke SICU.
Heading to NOLA for ACC.23?
Will you be attending the 2023 ACC Scientific Sessions in New Orleans next weekend? Please join us at the Duke Annual Reception & Duke vs. UNC MBB Watch Party.
When: Saturday, March 4 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Where: New Orleans Marriott/Warehouse Arts District
Sponsors: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke Cardiology, and Duke Heart Center
Questions: email Elizabeth.evans@duke.edu or willette.wilkins@duke.edu.
Dean’s Distinguished Research Series 2023
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Research Series showcases groundbreaking research from the basic, clinical, and translational sciences. Formerly called “Research Week”, the re-imagined series will be held in-person and live-streamed. All faculty, staff, trainees and students are welcome to attend.
March 9:
Trainee Poster Session, 2:30 – 4 p.m., 6th Floor, Trent Semans Center for Health Education
Faculty Lectures, 4 – 5 p.m., 6th Floor, Trent Semans Center for Health Education.
Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH, director of Duke Global Health Institute, and Keisha Bentley-Edwards, PhD, associate director of research, Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity will present. Light bites and refreshments provided on a first-come, first-served basis. (live stream available: https://duke.is/vgf7u)
For the full schedule, please visit https://medschool.duke.edu/research/deans-distinguished-research-series-2023.
Reminder: Future Relocation of DUH Unit 7100 for Renovations
As most of you know, Duke University Hospital’s bed tower 100 is in the process of being renovated. Unit 7100 will be relocated to Duke North 2200 (a 16-bed unit) and 3200 (also a 16-bed unit) in April.
These units were selected for their close proximity to one another and to other Heart units; the provision of 32 beds for Cardiology patients; and, for being move-in ready after recent renovations. 7201-7208 will close as the Hospital Surge Unit, and the eight Emergency Department admit hold patients will relocate from 2200 to this area.
The exact dates for closing 7201-7208 and relocating 7100 will be communicated once we have firm dates identified. There will be no change in the patient population we will care for on units 2200/3200.
DHIP update
Distribution of Employment Agreements for transitioning members is ongoing. Please monitor your inbox for critical communication from DHIP@duke.edu, your department chair, and Adobe Sign.
Reminder: The Duke Guarantee offers the minimum compensation each Member can expect to receive. Additional compensation opportunities which exist today will continue to be available to members within DHIP.
All members will be given weeks to consider employment and sign their Employment Agreements.
Benefits:
- Information regarding Duke Benefits is available on SharePoint.
- All benefits related questions can be sent to DHIPBenefits@Duke.edu.
All other questions can be sent to DHIP@duke.edu, and all DHIP updates can be found at https://dhip.org.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Feb. 28: Percutaneous Mechanical Circulatory Support in High Risk PCI and Shock: Fact, Fiction, and Future Devices with Sandeep Nathan of Univ. of Chicago Medicine. 5 p.m., Zoom; also: in person, DN 2002.
March 14: Topic TBA with Italo Biaggioni of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Zoom.
DCRI Research Forum: Feb. 28
The Duke Clinical Research Institute’s upcoming Research Forum will feature a fireside chat with Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Editor-In-Chief Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo.
What: A Fireside Chat with JAMA Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS
When: Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 12 p.m.-1 p.m.
(Required) Register: https://duke.is/y45qv
Webinar details and link will be provided upon registration.
Duke REACH Equity Center Funding Opportunities:
Research Voucher, Scholars Development, Transdisciplinary Think Tank
Now accepting applications through March 17 for July 2023 funding.
The Duke REACH Equity Center awards support students, trainees, and faculty who are interested in conducting research that promotes health equity. All proposals should broadly address the REACH Equity theme: to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health by improving the quality of patient-centered care in the clinical encounter across diseases, stages of illness, care settings, and throughout the life course. Proposals may include any research topic and method (quantitative, qualitative, etc.).
There are four funding opportunities:
The Research Vouchers Program will supplement currently funded research or support standalone research projects conducted by faculty at any level. Funding: One year, up to $12,500 per award.
- Full Research Vouchers Program RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Research Scholars Development Program is intended to support early-stage investigators (residents, fellows, postdoctoral students, nursing trainees, and other trainees at a similar career stage). Scholars work with a faculty mentor (identified by the trainee) to develop a research proposal and complete a project. Funding: Up to $5,000 for one- or two-year project per award.
- Full Research Scholars Development RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Transdisciplinary Think Tank (TTT) provides support to bring together faculty across disciplines who have a common interest in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in the clinical encounter. The TTT’s aim is to catalyze and support research related to the REACH Equity theme and to foster collaboration among health disparities researchers across Duke University. Funding: One year, up to $1,500 per award.
- The Full Transdisciplinary Think Tank RFA and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
The Medical Student and Nursing Student Research Award is intended to support a third-year medical student or a third-year PhD nursing student conducting research related to the REACH Equity theme. Scholars work with a faculty mentor (identified by the student) to develop a research proposal and complete a project. Funding: Up to $5,000 for one-year project.
- Full Medical Student Research and Nursing Student Research Award and application instructions are available here.
- Current awardee list is available here.
Application submission deadline: March 17 for July 2023 funding.
Email reachequitycenter@duke.edu with questions.
Save the Date: Spring Faculty Reception
All Duke SOM faculty members are invited to the 2023 School of Medicine Spring Faculty Celebration scheduled for Wednesday, May 17, 5:00-7:30 p.m. at the Doris Duke Center, Duke Gardens. This event is a wonderful opportunity to network, celebrate achievements, and recognize colleagues with faculty awards. Refreshments will be served. Link to RSVP is below.
Feel free to invite your SOM faculty colleagues to attend with you or to make plans to come as a group and celebrate the end of the academic year together.
Tentative Agenda:
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. — Networking reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres
6:00 – 6:15 p.m. — Opening Remarks
6:15 – 7:00 p.m. — School of Medicine Faculty Awards and Recognitions
7:00 – 7:30 p.m. — Reception and Dessert
The Office of Faculty is looking forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions about the event, please do not hesitate to contact their team: facdev@dm.duke.edu.
To RSVP: https://duke.is/cyp46
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 18 — Stuart Russell
WPTF AM 640
Aging Matters: Raising Awareness of heart issues
https://duke.is/8teb6
*clip begins @16:06:31
February 20 — Jacob Schroder with Jason Banner, patient
WPTF AM-640/CBS News Weekend Round-up*
Medical breakthrough gives father more time with his kids
https://duke.is/9v2yn
*clip begins @ 00:31:26
February 20 — Jacob Schroder with Jason Banner, patient
KCAL CBS News Los Angeles*
Medical Breakthrough allows some patients to get a new heart
https://duke.is/4czbt
*clip begins @ 09:50:56
February 20 — William Kraus
The Washington Post/Bloomberg
Cut Calories and (Maybe) Add Years to Your Life
https://duke.is/j3c6a
February 21 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Rural Hospitals Less Likely than Urban Hospitals to Prescribe GDMT in Heart Failure
https://duke.is/babu3
February 23 — Stephen Greene and Jacob Pierce (IM Resident)
tctMD
Too Many HF Patients Exiting Rural Hospitals Miss Out on Endorsed Therapies
https://duke.is/pu5qf
February 23 — Duke SOM
Becker’s Healthcare/ASC Review
Most diverse medical schools in 2023
https://duke.is/r8ewx
February 23 — Michael Pencina
STAT News
AI developers battle with FDA, what’s next with Amazon and One Medical, & protecting wearables data
https://duke.is/5yb56
February 23 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
Salisbury (NC) Post
Automated CPR machine gets to the heart of survival
https://duke.is/nhexs
February 23 — Pamela Douglas
DAIC
ACC Global Survey Finds 1 in 4 Cardiologists Reporting Mental Health Conditions
https://duke.is/yqejq
Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed February 2-22, 2023
Altin SE, Parikh PB, Squeri E, Douglas PS, Wang DD, Mehran R. Representation of Women in Cardiology Academic Faculty Ranks. Am J Cardiol 2023;190:96-97. PM: 36608436.
Carnicelli AP, Keane R, Brown KM, Loriaux DB, Kendsersky P, Alviar CL, Arps K, Berg DD, Bohula EA, Burke JA, Dixson JA, Gerber DA, Goldfarb M, Granger CB, Guo J, Harrison RW, Kontos M, Lawler PR, Miller PE, Nativi-Nicolau J, Newby LK, Racharla L, Roswell RO, Shah KS, Sinha SS, Solomon MA, Teuteberg J, Wong G, van Diepen S, Katz JN, Morrow DA. Characteristics, therapies, and outcomes of In-Hospital vs Out-of-Hospital cardiac arrest in patients presenting to cardiac intensive care units: From the critical care Cardiology trials network (CCCTN). Resuscitation 2023;183:109664. PM: 36521683.
Gaudino M, Alexander J, Benedetto U, Boening A, Dimagli A, Fremes S, Chikwe J, Girardi L, Hare D, Kurlansky P, Lamy A, Audisio K, Di Franco A, Devereaux PJ, Diegeler A, Flather M, Lawton JS, Tam DY, Reents W, Rahouma M. Omnia munda mundis (‘to the pure, all things are pure’). Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2023;63(2):ezad021. PM: 36651674.
Hertz JT, Prattipati S, Kweka GL, Mlangi JJ, Tarimo TG, Mmbaga BT, Thielman NM, Sakita FM, Rubach MP, Bloomfield GS, Manavalan P. Prevalence and predictors of uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, and obesity among adults with HIV in northern Tanzania. Glob Public Health 2022;17(12):3747- 3759. PM: 35282776.
Khan MS, Shahid I, Greene SJ, Mentz RJ, DeVore AD, Butler J. Mechanisms of current therapeutic strategies for heart failure: more questions than answers? Cardiovasc Res 2023;118(18):3467-3481. PM: 36536991.
Kosiborod MN, Bhatt AS, Claggett BL, Vaduganathan M, Kulac IJ, Lam CSP, Hernandez AF, Martinez FA, Inzucchi SE, Shah SJ, de Boer RA, Jhund PS, Desai AS, Fang JC, Han Y, Comin-Colet J, Vardeny O, Lindholm D, Wilderäng U, Bengtsson O, McMurray JJV, Solomon SD. Effect of Dapagliflozin on Health Status in Patients With Preserved or Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023;81(5):460-473. PM: 36526515.
Otvos JD, Shalaurova I, May HT, Muhlestein JB, Wilkins JT, McGarrah RW, Kraus WE. Multimarkers of metabolic malnutrition and inflammation and their association with mortality risk in cardiac catheterisation patients: a prospective, longitudinal, observational, cohort study. Lancet Healthy Longev 2023;4(2):e72- e82. PM: 36738747.
Parker DC, Kraus WE, Whitson HE, Kraus VB, Smith PJ, Cohen HJ, Pieper CF, Faldowski RA, Hall KS, Huebner JL, Ilkayeva OR, Bain JR, Newby LK, Huffman KM. Tryptophan Metabolism and Neurodegeneration: Longitudinal Associations of Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites with Cognitive Performance and Plasma Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Biomarkers in the Duke Physical Performance Across the LifeSpan Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2023;91(3):1141-1150. PM: 36565121.
Peters AE, Tromp J, Shah SJ, Lam CSP, Lewis GD, Borlaug BA, Sharma K, Pandey A, Sweitzer NK, Kitzman DW, Mentz RJ. Phenomapping in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights, limitations, and future directions. Cardiovasc Res 2023;118(18):3403-3415. PM: 36448685.
Wang PJ, Lu Y, Mahaffey KW, Lin A, Morin DP, Sears SF, Chung MK, Russo AM, Lin B, Piccini J, Hills MT, Berube C, Pundi K, Baykaner T, Garay G, Lhamo K, Rice E, Pourshams IA, Shah R, Newswanger P, DeSutter K, Nunes JC, Albert MA, Schulman KA, Heidenreich PA, Bunch TJ, Sanders LM, Turakhia M, Verghese A, Stafford RS. Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate an Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Prevention Shared Decision-Making Pathway. J Am Heart Assoc 2023;12(3):e028562. PM: 36342828.
Zeitler EP, Li Y, Silverstein AP, Russo AM, Poole JE, Daniels MR, Al-Khalidi HR, Lee KL, Bahnson TD, Anstrom KJ, Packer DL, Mark DB. Effects of Ablation Versus Drug Therapy on Quality of Life by Sex in Atrial Fibrillation: Results From the CABANA Trial. J Am Heart Assoc 2023;12(3):e027871. PM: 36688367.
Badhwar V, Chikwe J, Gillinov AM, Vemulapalli S, O’Gara PT, Mehaffey JH, Wyler von Ballmoos M, Bowdish ME, Gray EL, O’Brien SM, Thourani VH, Shahian DM, Habib RH. Risk of Surgical Mitral Valve Repair for Primary Mitral Regurgitation. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023;81(7):636-648. PM: 36669958.
Coles TM, Lin L, Weinfurt K, Reeve BB, Spertus JA, Mentz RJ, Piña IL, Bocell FD, Tarver ME, Henke DM, Saha A, Caldwell B, Spring S. Do PRO Measures Function the Same Way for all Individuals With Heart Failure? J Card Fail 2023;29(2):210-216. PM: 35691480.
DeFilippis EM, Mentz RJ, Lala A. Lifting and Healing as We Climb: Women’s Heart Month. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):121-123. PM: 36797008.
Joyce E, McIllvennan CK, Esquivel JH, Sauer AJ, Correa A, Blumer V, Youmans QR, Alvarez-Garcia J, Chang H, Overbey J, Deych E, Sinha SS, Morris A, Defilippis EM, Reza N, Code J, Hajduczok AG, Fudim M, Rollins B, Vader JM, Pina IL, Teuteberg J, Zieroth S, Starling RC, Gulati M, Mentz RJ, Lala A. Participating in the Peer Review Process: The Journal of Cardiac Failure Construct. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):181-192. PM: 36529605.
Kamimura D, Yimer WK, Shah AM, Mentz RJ, Oshunbade A, Hamid A, Suzuki T, Clark D, Waller J, Fox ER, Correa A, Butler J, Hall ME. Vitamin D Levels in Black Americans and the Association With Left Ventricular Remodeling and Incident Heart Failure With Preserved Ejectin Fraction: The Jackson Heart Study. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):150-157. PM: 35905866.
Pierce JB, Maqsood MH, Khan MS, Minhas AMK, Butler J, Felker GM, Greene SJ. Duration of Heart Failure, In-hospital Clinical Trajectory, and Postdischarge Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):225-228. PM: 36351495.
Tam DY, Fang J, Rocha RV, Rao SV, Dzavik V, Lawton J, Austin PC, Gaudino M, Fremes SE, Lee DS. Real-World Examination of Revascularization Strategies for Left Main Coronary Disease in Ontario, Canada. JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2023;16(3):277-288. PM: 36609048.
Al-Khatib SM, Hill JA, Carnethon M. Seventh Annual Go Red for Women Issue. Circulation 2023;147(7):519-520. PM: 36780381.
Badhwar V, Chikwe J, Gillinov AM, Vemulapalli S, O’Gara PT, Mehaffey JH, Wyler von Ballmoos M, Bowdish ME, Gray EL, O’Brien SM, Thourani VH, Shahian DM, Habib RH. Risk of Surgical Mitral Valve Repair for Primary Mitral Regurgitation. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023;81(7):636-648. PM: 36669958.
Benjamin EJ, Thomas KL, Go AS, Desvigne-Nickens P, Albert CM, Alonso A, Chamberlain AM, Essien UR, Hernandez I, Hills MT, Kershaw KN, Levy PD, Magnani JW, Matlock DD, O’Brien EC, Rodriguez CJ, Russo AM, Soliman EZ, Cooper LS, Al-Khatib SM. Transforming Atrial Fibrillation Research to Integrate Social Determinants of Health: A National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop Report. JAMA Cardiol 2023;8(2):182-191. PM: 36478155.
Carson JL, Brooks MM, Chaitman BR, Alexander JH, Goodman SG, Bertolet M, Abbott JD, Cooper HA, Rao SV, Triulzi DJ, Fergusson DA, Kostis WJ, Noveck H, Simon T, Steg PG, DeFilippis AP, Goldsweig AM, Lopes RD, White H, Alsweiler C, Morton E, Hébert PC. Rationale and design for the myocardial ischemia and transfusion (MINT) randomized clinical trial. Am Heart J 2023;257:120-129. PM: 36417955.
Coles TM, Lin L, Weinfurt K, Reeve BB, Spertus JA, Mentz RJ, Piña IL, Bocell FD, Tarver ME, Henke DM, Saha A, Caldwell B, Spring S. Do PRO Measures Function the Same Way for all Individuals With Heart Failure? J Card Fail 2023;29(2):210-216. PM: 35691480.
DeFilippis EM, Mentz RJ, Lala A. Lifting and Healing as We Climb: Women’s Heart Month. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):121-123. PM: 36797008.
Hong JC, Patel P, Eclov NCW, Stephens SJ, Mowery YM, Tenenbaum JD, Palta M. Healthcare provider evaluation of machine learning- directed care: reactions to deployment on a randomised controlled study. BMJ Health Care Inform 2023;30(1):e100674. PM: 36764680.
Joyce E, McIllvennan CK, Esquivel JH, Sauer AJ, Correa A, Blumer V, Youmans QR, Alvarez-Garcia J, Chang H, Overbey J, Deych E, Sinha SS, Morris A, Defilippis EM, Reza N, Code J, Hajduczok AG, Fudim M, Rollins B, Vader JM, Pina IL, Teuteberg J, Zieroth S, Starling RC, Gulati M, Mentz RJ, Lala A. Participating in the Peer Review Process: The Journal of Cardiac Failure Construct. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):181-192. PM: 36529605.
Kamimura D, Yimer WK, Shah AM, Mentz RJ, Oshunbade A, Hamid A, Suzuki T, Clark D, Waller J, Fox ER, Correa A, Butler J, Hall ME. Vitamin D Levels in Black Americans and the Association With Left Ventricular Remodeling and Incident Heart Failure With Preserved Ejectin Fraction: The Jackson Heart Study. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):150-157. PM: 35905866.
Karatela MF, Dowell RS, Friedman D, Jackson KP, Piccini JP. Omnipolar Versus Bipolar Electrode Mapping in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Catheter Ablation. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2022;8(12):1539-1552. PM: 36779625.
Khan MS, Xu H, Fonarow GC, Lautsch D, Hilkert R, Allen LA, DeVore AD, Alhanti B, Yancy CW, Albert NM, Butler J, Greene SJ. Applicability of Vericiguat to Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in the United States. JACC Heart Fail 2023;11(2):211-223. PM: 36754528.
Liu Y, Douglas PS, Lip GYH, Thabane L, Li L, Ye Z, Li G. Relationship between obesity severity, metabolic status and cardiovascular disease in obese adults. Eur J Clin Invest 2023;53(3):e13912. PM: 36424669.
Lowenstern AM, Vekstein AM, Grau-Sepulveda M, Badhwar V, Thourani VH, Cohen DJ, Sorajja P, Goel K, Barker CM, Lindman BR, Glower DG, Wang A, Vemulapalli S. Impact of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Availability on Volume and Outcomes of Surgical Repair. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023;81(6):521-532. PM: 36754512.
Mauro C, Chianese S, Cocchia R, Arcopinto M, Auciello S, Capone V, Carafa M, Carbone A, Caruso G, Castaldo R, Citro R, Crisci G, D’Andrea A, D’Assante R, D’Avino M, Ferrara F, Frangiosa A, Galzerano D, Maffei V, Marra AM, Mehta RM, Mehta RH, Paladino F, Ranieri B, Franzese M, et al. Acute Heart Failure: Diagnostic-Therapeutic Pathways and Preventive Strategies-A Real-World Clinician’s Guide. J Clin Med 2023;12(3):846. PM: 36769495.
Nathan SD, Deng C, King CS, DuBrock HM, Elwing J, Rajagopal S, Rischard F, Sahay S, Broderick M, Shen E, Smith P, Tapson VF, Waxman AB. Inhaled Treprostinil Dosage in Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Interstitial Lung Disease and Its Effects on Clinical Outcomes. Chest 2023;163(2):398-406. PM: 36115497.
Pandey A, Kitzman DW, Nelson MB, Pastva AM, Duncan P, Whellan DJ, Mentz RJ, Chen H, Upadhya B, Reeves GR. Frailty and Effects of a Multidomain Physical Rehabilitation Intervention Among Older Patients Hospitalized for Acute Heart Failure: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Cardiol 2023;8(2):167-176. PM: 36598761.
Pierce JB, Maqsood MH, Khan MS, Minhas AMK, Butler J, Felker GM, Greene SJ. Duration of Heart Failure, In-hospital Clinical Trajectory, and Postdischarge Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure. J Card Fail 2023;29(2):225-228. PM: 36351495.
Schnittman SR, Lu MT, Mayrhofer T, Burdo TH, Fitch KV, McCallum S, Fulda ES, Zanni MV, Foldyna B, Malvestutto C, Fichtenbaum CJ, Aberg JA, Bloomfield GS, Overton ET, Currier J, Tebas P, Sha BE, Ribaudo HJ, Flynn JM, Douglas PS, Erlandson KM, Grinspoon SK. Cytomegalovirus Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Titer and Coronary Artery Disease in People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Clin Infect Dis 2023;76(3):e613-e621. PM: 35975297.
Sharma G, Rao SJ, Douglas PS, Rzeszut A, Itchhaporia D, Wood MJ, Nasir K, Blumenthal RS, Poppas A, Kuvin J, Miller AP, Mehran R, Valentine M, Summers RF, Mehta LS. Prevalence and Professional Impact of Mental Health Conditions Among Cardiologists. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023;81(6):574-586. PM: 36585350.
Soares C, Kwok M, Boucher KA, Haji M, Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, Longenecker CT, Bloomfield GS, Ross D, Jutkowtiz E, Sullivan JL, Rudolph JL, Wu WC, Erqou S. Performance of Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Models Among People Living With HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Cardiol 2023;8(2):139-149. PM: 36576812.
Zeitler EP, Kearing S, Coylewright M, Nair D, Hsu JC, Darden D, O’Malley AJ, Russo AM, Al-Khatib SM. Comparative Effectiveness of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Versus Oral Anticoagulation by Sex. Circulation 2023;147(7):586-596. PM: 36780379.
Tam DY, Fang J, Rocha RV, Rao SV, Dzavik V, Lawton J, Austin PC, Gaudino M, Fremes SE, Lee DS. Real-World Examination of Revascularization Strategies for Left Main Coronary Disease in Ontario, Canada. JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2023;16(3):277-288. PM: 36609048.
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