Heart Matters

ReachMD

Since cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., cardiology physicians are continuously working to better understand this common disease and to help patients improve their heart health. And here to assist cardiology physicians in this mission is Heart Matters, a series dedicated to covering essential strategies and research efforts focusing on all types of heart problems, including coronary artery diseases, heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and more.
So whether you’re looking for ways to improve heart health or catch up on the latest cardiology research, you never have to worry about missing a beat thanks to Heart Matters.

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20 episodes
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Friday · 10 min
Navigating Chronic Anticoagulation Reversal in Cardiothoracic Surgery
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Ahmet Kilic, MD FACS When cardiothoracic surgery can’t wait, chronic anticoagulation can further complicate an already complex clinical picture. In this conversation with Dr. Brian McDonough, Dr. Ahmet Kilic explores the factors that can help inform anticoagulation reversal decisions in time-sensitive scenarios. Dr. Kilic is a Professor of Clinical Cardiac Surgery and the Program Director for the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
September 21 · 2 min
Improving ATTR-CM Care Through Community-Specialist Partnership
Guest: Alex Reyentovich, MD Community providers and amyloidosis specialists each play a vital role in diagnosing and managing transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). Join Dr. Alex Reyentovich as he explains how this partnership can improve both patient care and diagnosis rates. Dr. Reyentovich is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Co-Director of the Amyloidosis Program at the Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health.
September 14 · 3 min
Subcutaneous Lp(a)-Lowering Therapies: Understanding the Evidence
Guest: M. Melih Dogan, MD What does current evidence tell us about subcutaneous lipoprotein(a)-lowering therapies? Find out as Dr. M. Melih Dogan shares findings from a recent meta-analysis examining their efficacy, safety, and effects on key lipid parameters, along with the limitations that remain as larger clinical trials continue. He's a Postdoctoral Researcher at East Carolina University Heart Institute, and he spoke about this topic at the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich.
September 3 · 4 min
Advancing ATTR-CM Identification: Early Findings from TRACE-AI
Guest: Bruno Batinica, MD Could multimodal AI help identify patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) who might otherwise go undiagnosed? Dr. Bruno Batinica, a Postdoctoral Associate at the Yale School of Medicine, joins us to share early findings from the TRACE-AI study, including AI-enabled model performance across diverse health systems, the potential value of combining modalities to improve positive predictive value, and next steps toward prospective deployment in clinical practice.
September 3 · 5 min
Exploring AI-Powered ATTR-CM Detection
Guest: Bruno Batinica, MD Earlier recognition of ATTR-CM remains a challenge, but emerging applications of AI could offer a new way to raise clinical suspicion. Dr. Bruno Batinica, a Postdoctoral Associate at the Yale School of Medicine, explores how AI models could identify patterns in ECG and echocardiography that may help flag patients for further evaluation.
September 2 · 9 min
Anticoagulation Reversal Decisions in Cardiothoracic Surgery: Case-Based Insights
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Akshay Kumar, MD In cardiothoracic surgery, the need for anticoagulation reversal can arise quickly, and the path forward isn’t always clear. In this case-based discussion with Dr. Brian McDonough, Dr. Akshay Kumar shares his perspective on making anticoagulation reversal decisions across a range of urgent and complex surgical scenarios. Dr. Kumar is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
August 31 · 5 min
A More Complete View of Cardiovascular Risk in Women
Guest: Noel Bairey Merz, MD Cardiovascular risk in women can emerge well before older age, but traditional approaches to risk assessment may overlook sex-specific factors in patients under 65. Dr. Noel Bairey Merz joins us to share how tools such as the PREVENT score and coronary artery calcium scoring, along with obstetric history and female-dominant conditions, can help us identify elevated risk earlier. Dr. Bairey Merz is the Director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Health Center, the Linda Joy Pollin Women’s Heart Health Program, and the Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center at the Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute in Beverly Hills, California. She also spoke about this topic at the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress.
August 31 · 15 min
Navigating ASCVD and Pancreatitis Risk in Severe Hypertriglyceridemia
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Andrew Freeman, MD, FACC, FACP In this episode of Heart Matters, Dr. Charles Turck is joined by Dr. Andrew Freeman to take a case-based look at severe hypertriglyceridemia and explore how the 2026 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Multisociety guideline on dyslipidemia management can help inform clinical decision-making. Together, Dr. Turck and Dr. Freeman follow a hypothetical patient over the course of their treatment journey, discussing how clinicians can effectively identify patients with sHTG at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and acute pancreatitis, and how management priorities may evolve over time. Dr. Freeman is a board-certified cardiologist and Director of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, and Clinical Cardiology and Operations at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado.
August 27 · 3 min
Complication-Centric Diabetes Care: Addressing Obesity and Cardiometabolic Risk
Guest: Scott D. Isaacs, MD FACP, FACE For patients with diabetes, effective care requires more than just lowering A1C. Dr. Scott Isaacs joins us to discuss the importance of incorporating comorbidities into care and strategies for systematic screening and follow-up. He’s the Immediate Past President of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.
August 27 · 2 min
Updated AACE Guidance on Managing Dyslipidemia in T2D
Guest: Scott D. Isaacs, MD FACP, FACE Dyslipidemia is a major driver of cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and lipid management is a key component of the 2026 AACE diabetes algorithm. Join Dr. Scott Isaacs as he reviews new recommendations on LDL-C goals and individualized care in this population. Dr. Isaacs is the Immediate Past President of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.
August 26 · 13 min
Applying Guideline Recommendations to ACS Management
Host: Steve Jackson, PharmD Guest: Sunil Rao, MD The 2025 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Management of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) reflects more than a decade of new evidence, but what will actually change at the bedside? Tune in to find out as Dr. Sunil Rao, Chair of the Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines, discusses the recommendations poised to have the greatest clinical impact and practical considerations for implementing them across the continuum of ACS care. Dr. Rao is a Professor of Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Director of Interventional Cardiology at NYU Langone Health.
August 20 · 10 min
Managing Acute PE: Updates from the 2026 AHA/ACC Guideline
Host: Mary Leuchars, MD Guest: Mark Creager, MD The 2026 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Adults introduces a new clinical categorization framework to help evaluate risk and determine the appropriate care setting and treatment for patients with acute pulmonary embolism. Review key updates as Dr. Mary Leuchars sits down with Dr. Mark Creager, chair of the guideline writing committee. He's also a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Surgery at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
August 20 · 4 min
The Future of ATTR-CM Care: A Look at What's Next
Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC The future of ATTR-CM care may extend beyond slowing disease progression to detecting it sooner—and potentially reversing its effects. Dr. Sumeet Mitter, Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Infiltrative and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Center at Inova Health in Virginia, explores emerging innovations that could open the door to earlier intervention, combination therapy, and even one-time treatment strategies.
August 20 · 2 min
Building Clinical Expertise in ATTR-CM Management
Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC As advances in RNA silencers, gene-editing technologies, and immunotherapy reshape the ATTR-CM landscape, it's important to stay informed and build confidence navigating this increasingly complex field. Dr. Sumeet Mitter, Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Infiltrative and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Center at Inova Health in Virginia, shares practical advice about navigating the nuances of this rare disease.
August 20 · 3 min
Multidisciplinary Care in ATTR-CM: Building the Right Team
Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC Because transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a systemic disease, effective ATTR-CM management requires expertise beyond cardiology. Dr. Sumeet Mitter joins us to discuss the roles of neurology, hematology-oncology, genetic counseling, and nephrology in caring for these patients. He's the Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Infiltrative and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Center at Inova Health in Virginia.
August 20 · 3 min
Overcoming Challenges in ATTR-CM Diagnosis
Guest: Sumeet Mitter MD, MSc, FACC Even with advances in noninvasive imaging, diagnosing ATTR-CM isn’t always straightforward. That's why Dr. Sumeet Mitter joins us to discuss how we can address key challenges in diagnosis and navigate the path to treatment. He's the Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Research and the Infiltrative and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Center at Inova Health in Virginia.
August 19 · 4 min
Enlicitide for LDL-C Management: Insights from CORALreef Lipids
Guest: Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD The CORALreef Lipids trial helped establish the clinical evidence supporting the FDA approval of enlicitide for LDL-C management. Join Dr. Ann Marie Navar, Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, for a discussion of the trial's efficacy, safety, and durability. She also explores key considerations for integrating this therapy into clinical practice.
August 19 · 2 min
How PCSK9 Inhibition Lowers LDL Cholesterol
Guest: Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD How does PCSK9 inhibition lower LDL cholesterol? Find out as Dr. Ann Marie Navar, Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, explains the biology behind this therapeutic approach.
August 19 · 4 min
Managing Dyslipidemia: 2026 ACC/AHA Guideline Updates
Guest: Roger Blumenthal, MD What do the 2026 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) dyslipidemia guideline updates mean for patient care? Join Dr. Roger Blumenthal, Chair of the Guideline Writing Committee, as he reviews key recommendations that can help us personalize cardiovascular risk reduction and improve long-term prevention. Dr. Blumenthal is the Kenneth Jay Pollin Professor of Cardiology and Director of the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
August 19 · 4 min
From Goals to Action: Multisociety Guidance on Lipid Management
Guest: Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD With LDL cholesterol goals reinstated in the 2026 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia, we now have a clearer framework for intensifying lipid-lowering therapy. Dr. Ann Marie Navar explains how to select nonstatin therapies based on the degree of LDL lowering needed, patient preferences, and the treatment most likely to help patients achieve their LDL goals. Dr. Navar is an Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and she served on the Guideline Writing Committee.

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