Ohio-ACC Newsletter, December 2024

Dear Ohio-ACC Colleague,

Annual Meeting Re-Cap for You

Our October 19th Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting brought together leading experts from across Ohio to explore cutting-edge developments in cardiovascular care, featuring engaging sessions that addressed critical topics from emerging therapies to technological innovations. Special thanks to meeting co-chairs, Dr. Christina Fink and Dr. Kenneth Varian. You can see photos of the meeting via the "Photos" tab at this link.

Social Connections and Networking

The event kicked off with vibrant social gatherings, including CV Team and Women in Cardiology happy hours, followed by a FIT (Fellows in Training) networking social hour, setting a collaborative tone for the weekend.

Highlights of the Meeting

• Richard Lewis Memorial Lecture: Dr. Paul Sorajja explored advances in Transcatheter Tricuspid Therapy.
• ACC State of Cardiovascular Care: Dr. Jeffrey Kuvin outlined key challenges for cardiovascular clinicians in 2024 and provided an update on the process of creating the new cardiovascular board.
• Medical Weight Loss: Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan presented new obesity medication research, while Dr. Emily Vrontos discussed implementation and cost strategies.
• Anticoagulation Updates: Dr. Anish Amin reviewed ARTESIA and NOAH-AFNET 6 Trial outcomes, and Dr. Mina Chung updated Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines.
• AI in Medical Imaging: Dr. Mark Iler highlighted AI's transformative potential in cardiovascular diagnostic approaches.
• Lipid Management: Dr. Benjamin Romer analyzed recent lipid trials, with Dr. Adam Gonyeau providing implementation strategies for lipid-lowering agents.

Poster Competition

The meeting showcased impressive research achievements:

• 86 total poster submissions
• 49 presentations selected (6 residents and 43 Fellows in Training)

Congratulations to our poster competition winners! Visit the ePoster Gallery to see the submitted work.

Oral Competition Winners:

1st Place: Dr. Ahmed Maraey, University of Toledo

2nd Place: Dr. Yan Naung Htay, Aultman Hospital

Fellow Competition

1st year Fellow Case - Polsha Jules, DO, Kettering Health Network

2nd year Fellow Case - Zeryab Khan, DO, Doctors Hospital/OhioHealth

3rd year Fellow Case - Abdallah Masri, MD, Aultman Hospital

Pediatric Fellow Case - Rahul Mital, MD, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital

1st year Fellow Research - Maliha Butt, MD, CWRU MetroHealth

2nd year Fellow Research - Varun Victor, MD, Aultman Hospital

Advanced Fellow Research - Shumail Fatima, MD, MS, CWRU UH Cleveland Medical Center

Resident Competition -1st place TIE - Nicholas Bradley, DO, Doctors Hospital/OhioHealth & Jonathan Wright, MD, The Ohio State University

The event underscored the rapid evolution of cardiovascular medicine, demonstrating the field's commitment to innovation, research, and improved patient care. We hope you can join us at next year's Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting on September 27, 2025, in Columbus!

Save the Date 

ACC 75th Gala - March 28, 2025

We're excited to announce our participation in the upcoming ACC 75th Gala being held in conjunction with ACC.25! This prestigious event promises to be a memorable evening of celebration and networking with funds going to support important ACC programming. Here are the key details:

Event Information:

Date: Friday, March 28, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM CT

Venue: Field Museum, Chicago, IL

Ohio-ACC Table Initiative:

We're aiming to have an official Ohio-ACC table at the event which can only happen with your participation. Individual tickets are $750. Would you be interested in purchasing an individual ticket ($750) to sit with the Ohio-ACC group? Your support and presence would greatly contribute to making this a successful representation of our chapter at this landmark event. Please email us to let us know. We look forward to your response and hopefully seeing you at the Gala!

2025 Ohio-ACC Spring Summit - May 3, 2025

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 3, 2025, for the Ohio-ACC Spring Summit in Cleveland. Matthew Martinez, MD, FACC, will present the Carl J. Wiggers Memorial Lecture on The Current Diagnosis and Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in the Era of Myosin Kinase Inhibitors. Register today.

CV Team Poster Presentation Opportunity

There will be a CV Team Poster Presentation opportunity at the May 3rd Spring Summit! Ohio CV team clinicians (non-physician clinicians – RN, NP, CNS, PA, PharmD) are invited to submit a case or research. The deadline for submissions is April 3, 2025. Get complete details here.

ACC Legislative Conference

ACC’s 2024 Legislative Conference was September 29-October 1, in Washington, DC, where Ohio-ACC members joined ACC members across the country to lobby for issues impacting our patients and profession, including:

• ESTABLISH SUSTAINABLE MEDICARE PAYMENT PRACTICES
• MAINTAIN CRITICAL TELEHEALTH FLEXIBILITIES
• MAINTAIN ACCESS TO CV REHABILITATION SERVICES 
• STREAMLINE PRIOR AUTHORIZATION PRACTICES
• INCREASE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO AEDS
• IMPROVE STUDENT HEART HEALTH

See the talking points here.

Women in Cardiology Networking Event

We held a wonderful Women in Cardiology networking event in Cleveland on November 14th at the Wyne Tasting Bar, providing our female cardiologists with an opportunity to get to know each other in an informal setting with delicious Mediterranean food. Special thanks to Zoll for their support of this event. We look forward to 2025 Women in Cardiology events, including a food bank volunteering afternoon as well as our popular Women in Cardiology recruiting event for residents and students. Stay tuned for more details!

Contact Us

I would like to wish you a happy holiday season. If Gwen Goldfarb, our chapter executive, or I can be of assistance to you, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Ellen

Call for Abstracts: Spring Summit 2025

Please submit your case reports and research for the Ohio-ACC Spring Summit on May 3, 2025! This is an excellent opportunity for you to present in an informal setting as well as network with colleagues from across the state. Here is complete information for you. The deadline for submission is April 3, 2025. We hope to see you (and your poster) in Cleveland!

Ohio-ACC Fellow Grand Round Series

The Ohio-ACC FIT 2024-25 Grand Round Series kicked off with the theme Step into The Future. Scott Lilly, MD, PhD, presented "Engineering the Aortic Valve" on November 21st. You can watch it here. Be sure to register for our Artificial Intelligence in Cardiology session on January 21, 2025, with special guest James Thomas, MD, from Northwestern.

Ohio-ACC FIT Bootcamp

The Ohio-ACC FIT Bootcamp took on a new look this year, chaired by Dr. Marissa Edmiston and Dr. Salvatore Savona. It was presented over the course of six weeks via a series of power-packed emails sent directly to your inbox, each designed to enhance your knowledge and skills. Please take a look at each of the six sessions here.

FITs at the Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting

FITs across Ohio met at the Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 19. There was a great scientific session along with a poster competition for fellows. Additionally, FITs held a networking Social Hour. The FIT poster competition showcased impressive research achievements:

• 86 total poster submissions
• 49 presentations selected (6 residents and 43 Fellows in Training)

Congratulations to our poster competition winners! Visit the ePoster Gallery to see the submitted work.

Consensus Statement on Apolipoprotein B (apoB)

The National Lipid Association (NLA) recently released a consensus statement on apolipoprotein B (apoB) that reviews both the role of apoB in ASCVD risk reduction as well as recommendations for measurement and treatment targets. ApoB is a structural component of atherogenic lipoproteins, with one apoB molecule per particle. The subtype apoB-100 is found on LDL, IDL, VLDL, and Lp(a) particles and is the primary ligand that binds to the LDL receptor, and which causes the accumulation of these particles in the subendothelial space. Due to low circulating levels of the other subtype of apoB (apoB-48, found on chylomicrons), the measured apoB in both a fasting and non-fasting state appropriately reflects the levels of apoB-100. 

When evaluated on a population level, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and apoB concentrations correlate well with each other and with a predicted ASCVD risk. However, on an individual level there is a wide range of apoB for any given non-HDL-C or LDL-C. This discordance results in an inequal ability to predict ASCVD risk in an individual, particularly between apoB and LDL-C. For example, in the Copenhagen General Population Study, an apoB above the median with an LDL-C below the median resulted in an increased risk for all-cause mortality while the inverse, apoB below median and LDL-C above median, resulted in a lower risk of all-cause mortality. From this and other studies, it is concluded that the best ASCVD risk predictor is apoB, followed by non-HDL-C, and then lastly by LDL-C. 

ApoB measurement should therefore be considered for ASCVD risk assessment, particularly in patients with chylomicronemia or severe hypertriglyceridemia, elevated Lp(a), low HDL-C, or in the presence of LpX, where discordance is more likely to occur. Based on population studies, an apoB above 130 mg/dL is at the 90th percentile for the adult population and should be considered similarly to its corresponding LDL-C (90th percentile = 160mg/dL). Suggested thresholds for initiation or intensification of therapy based on apoB levels are also included in the consensus statement and the table below. Fortunately, apoB can be lowered with the lifestyle interventions and medications we use to lower LDL-C. It should be noted that apoB discordance can increase in patients on therapy because many antihyperlipidemics preferentially decrease high concentration particles, which can result in a larger improvement in LDL-C than in apoB. As a result, consider checking apoB at baseline, after dose adjustments, and then if clinically indicated while stable and at LDL-C and non-HDL-C targets. 

Thresholds for therapy initiation or intensification, based on the 2022 ECDP on Non-Statin Therapy and the 2024 ApoB Expert Consensus Statement.



Citation: Soffer DE, et al. JCL. Sept-Oct 2024;18(5):e647-63. 

CardiOhio Podcast

Please take a moment to subscribe to the Ohio-ACC CardiOhio Podcast. Simply copy and paste this URL into the podcast app of your choice, or click here to view in Apple podcasts. These 30-minute audio podcasts are designed to provide practical management tips for our providers. We hope that you will find this information useful for your practice.

Episode 21

Atrial Fibrillation in Athletes - Unique Challenges in Diagnosis and Management

Join our special guests, Drs. Auroa Badin and Bradley Lander, as we discuss the case of an elite professional athlete found to have atrial fibrillation. We discuss the challenges regarding anticoagulation, medical therapy, and the role of monitoring for burden of arrhythmia in these patients. Finally, we review the role of definitive ablation, including the shared decision-making process.

Episode 20

Cardio-Obstetrics: Pearls for Every Cardiac Practitioner

Join our special guests, Drs. Lauren Lastinger from The Ohio State University and Sharon Roble from OhioHealth, as we review common issues in cardio-obstetrics for the cardiac practitioner. We will review pearls for managing common cardiovascular conditions during pregnancy, evaluation of cardiac symptoms during pregnancy, common medication pitfalls, and new concepts in peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Episode 19

The New Obesity Drugs: What Cardiac Practitioners Need to Know

Dr. Ian Neeland from University Hospitals in Cleveland

Episode 18

All about FMD and SCAD, with Dr. Heather Gornik

Drs. Heather Gornik and Ellen Sabik, both from University Hospitals of Cleveland

Episode 17

Acute Heart Failure: New Therapies, New Devices, and Management Pearls

Drs. Ankit Bhatia and Gregory F. Egnaczyk, both from The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati

Your ACC Membership

Thank you for your membership. You and your work are critical to the success of our organization and our profession. Your ACC membership renewal for 2025 is due soon and the Ohio-ACC looks forward to continuing to support your work over the coming year with your membership renewal. Our shared curiosity can help us deliver on ACC’s goal to develop and disseminate actionable knowledge. Collaboration and innovation can aid in the discovery of new ways to leverage technology to reduce care inequities, increase access to care and improve patient outcomes. Connections we build can support us as we take control of our professional lives, lead care transformation, and build a culture of wellbeing. And our collective voice can amplify our message to modernize clinical guidance, evolve data science and create integrated teams around value-based care. We look forward to all we will do together to transform care and improve heart health, advance science and innovation, and ensure the well-being of our patients, our communities and ourselves. Join us in 2025—and don’t forget to select your Member Sections; those tailored opportunities for involvement are the best way to join other champions for our interests with your specialty, career stage and interest areas in mind.

JACC Journals Calls for Papers

Take advantage of the following calls for papers on the following topics:

• JACC: Asia and JACC: Case Reports: Valvular Heart Disease | Due November 30
• JACC: Advances: Advances in Preventive Cardiology and Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Disease | Due December 18
• JACC: CardioOncology: Bi-directional Cardio-Oncology | Due February 15
• JACC: Advances: Care of the Critically Ill Patient in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit | Due February 15

Download CardioSmart’s HF Tools

With more than 6 million Americans with heart failure, patient education is key in managing and living with this condition. To help patients better understand and manage heart failure, ACC’s CardioSmart team has developed a package of tools and resources including a new Action Plan for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF). The package also includes infographics, decision aids, and updated tools teaching patients how to make the most of their follow-up visits, use checklists, daily trackers, and more. Download the tools for free.

CardioSmart is the ACC’s dedicated home for patient tools and resources, including infographics, shared decision-making aids, and more. Find information on specific clinical conditions, health lifestyle choices and more at CardioSmart.org.