New ACC/AHA Aortic Disease Guideline

The newest clinical guideline from the ACC and the American Heart Association (AHA) aims to guide clinicians in the diagnosis and management of patients with aortic disease. Specifically, the 2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease provides recommendations regarding diagnosis, genetic evaluation and family screening, medical therapy, endovascular and surgical treatment, and long-term surveillance across multiple clinical presentation subsets, ranging from asymptomatic patients to those with acute aortic syndromes.

Among the highlights, the guideline encourages the use of centers with Multidisciplinary Aortic Teams in determining the appropriate timing of intervention. There is also added emphasis on the role of shared decision-making, especially in the management of patients with aortic disease both before and during pregnancy due to the “cardiovascular risks of pregnancy, the diameter thresholds for prophylactic aortic surgery, and the mode of delivery.” Read more.

To access clinician and patient tools related to the Guideline, including CardioSmart resources and a JACC Aortic Disease Interactive Guideline Tool tied to family screening, visit ACC’s Aortic Disease Guideline Hub.

2022 FIT Symposium: Networking and the Job Search on Nov. 10

Save the Date! Cardiology Fellows-in-Training will have the opportunity to hear from some of Minnesota’s top cardiologists about their real-world experiences during the transition from training to practice. We will have a panel discussion for approximately 90 minutes, with time outside of that for questions and networking.

PANELISTS:

  • Catherine (Katie) Benziger, MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA – Essentia Health
  • Michelle Carlson, MD, FACC – Hennepin Healthcare
  • Selma Carlson, MD, FACC – Minneapolis VA & University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Michael Cullen, MD, FACC – Mayo Clinic
  • Andrea Elliott, MD, FACC – University of Minnesota
  • William (Bill) Katsiyiannis, MD, FACC – Minneapolis Heart Institute
  • Sheetal (Sunny) Kaul, MD, MBBS, FACC – HealthPartners
  • Carmelo Panetta, MD, FACC – University of MN Physicians
  • Retu Saxena, MD, FACC – Minneapolis Heart Institute
  • Gautam R. Shroff, MBBS, FACC – Hennepin Healthcare
  • Mengistu A. Simegn, MD, FACC, FASE – Hennepin Healthcare
  • Stephen J. Smalley, MD, FACC – Essentia Health
  • Randall (Randy) Stark, MD, FACC – Metropolitan Heart & Vascular Institute
  • Sharath S. Subramanian, MBBS, MD, FACC – Centracare Heart & Vascular Center

CME Webinar: Anemia in Patients with CVD and CKD: Current Management and Potential Role of HIF-PHIs

Program Overview:

Anemia in CKD is associated with poor CV outcomes, increased risk of CKD progression, decreased health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and increased healthcare resource utilization. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents have been the standard of care for treating anemia in CKD but are associated with CV safety concerns; other therapies include red blood cell transfusions and iron administration, but each potentially has severe adverse events.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) are promising novel agents in development for treating CKD-associated anemia. These oral agents increase endogenous erythropoietin production, improve iron absorption and mobilization, and decrease hepcidin production in the liver.

Anemia in Patients with CVD and CKD: Current Management and Potential Role of HIF-PHIs will provide cardiologists with information about the etiology of anemia in CKD, the effects on CV disease, HRQOL, and function, advantages and limitations of current management strategies, and the efficacy and safety data for HIF-PHIs in late-stage development for the management of CKD-related anemia.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Discuss the etiology of anemia in chronic kidney disease
  • Summarize how anemia affects functioning, quality of life, and health outcomes, for patients with cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease
  • Assess the benefits and limitations of available modalities for treating anemia in chronic kidney disease
  • Describe the mechanism of action of and efficacy and safety data for agents in late-stage development for the management of anemia of chronic kidney disease

Steering Committee:

Erin Michos, MD, MHS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiology
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Matthew Weir, MD
Professor and Chief
Division of Nephrology
Department of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Jointly provided by USFH and Rockpointe.

This educational activity is supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.

FIT Lecture Series: Mitral Valve Prolapse – When Does It Stop Being Benign? on Sept. 13

ACCMN FIT Lecture Series 09.13.22 Mitral Valve Prolapse and Mitral Annular Disjunction

Join us the second Tuesday of each month for our ongoing Fellows in Training (FIT) Lecture Series. On Tuesday, September 13th from 6-8 PM Iulia-Maria Tulai, M.D., Cardiology Fellow at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation & Hennepin Healthcare, will present a talk on mitral valve prolapse.

This event is free, but registration is required. Register here and mark your calendars for the second Tuesday of every month to join us for future lectures.

Poster Contest Submissions Due Sept. 8

The 2022 Midwest Cardiovascular Forum will include a poster contest from 4:30-6:00pm on Saturday, October 29th at the Royal Sonesta Downtown Minneapolis.

  • There is Fellow, Resident, and a Medical Student tier in this contest.
  • There will be an award for first, second, and third place in each competition tier.
  • Regional representatives of the American College of Cardiology will judge all entries.
  • Submitting a Poster Abstract is free.
  • Conference Registration is free to those who have a poster accepted in the competition.
  • The deadline to submit your poster information is September 8th, 2022. The research or work submitted must be recent; June 2019-September 2022 should be the timeframe for consideration of poster work as we want to include good work that did not have an opportunity for in-person contests during the beginning of the pandemic.

Registration Opens for the 2022 Midwest Cardiovascular Forum

Attendees listen attentively to a speaker during the 2019 Midwest Cardiovascular Forum

After a two-year hiatus, the Midwest Cardiovascular Forum is returning this fall for a 1.5-day conference exploring the latest in cardiology! Sessions include topics for seasoned cardiologists, fellows-in-training, and cardiovascular team members. Join us in downtown Minneapolis from October 29-30.

Visit the Midwest Cardiovascular Forum web page for more details, and mark your calendar to attend.

ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus

ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus is an update to the American College of Cardiology ASCVD Risk Estimator that uses recent science and user feedback to help a clinician and patient build a customized risk lowering plan by estimating and monitoring change in 10 year ASCVD risk.

Use the app to:

  • Estimate a patient’s initial 10-year ASCVD risk using the pooled cohort equation
  • Receive an individualized, risk-based, intervention approach
  • Project the impact of specific interventions on a patient’s risk
  • Guide clinician-patient discussion around customizing an intervention plan
  • Update risk at follow-up based on a patient’s response to therapy using the Million Hearts Longitudinal model

Choose specific sections, or download the entire PDF Guide.

Preamble
Since 1980, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have translated scientific evidence into clinical practice guidelines with recommendations to improve cardiovascular health. These guidelines, which are based on systematic methods to evaluate and classify evidence, provide a foundation for the delivery of quality cardiovascular care. The ACC and AHA sponsor the development and publication of clinical practice guidelines without commercial support, and members volunteer their time to the writing and review efforts. Guidelines are official policy of the ACC and AHA. For some guidelines, the ACC and AHA partner with other organizations.

Intended Use
Clinical practice guidelines provide recommendations applicable to patients with or at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The focus is on medical practice in the United States, but these guidelines are relevant to patients throughout the world. Although guidelines may be used to inform regulatory or payer decisions, the intent is to improve quality of care and align with patients’ interests. Guidelines are intended to define practices meeting the needs of patients in most, but not all, circumstances, and should not replace clinical judgment.

1 2 3