I would like to recognize Kanny Grewal, MD, FACC, our outgoing president for his exceptional leadership. His contributions have been invaluable. In addition to leading the Ohio-ACC on important advocacy and educational efforts, he created the CardiOH Podcast which has been extremely successful. Kanny, thank you for your efforts on behalf of our membership. I would also like to thank Andrea Robinson, MSN, ACNP, AACC, for her tireless work as the CV team state representative. She has spearheaded excellent educational content and created wonderful collaboration among our CV team members. Sanjay Gandhi, MD, MBA, FACC, served as a great mentor to me in his role as immediate past president; thank you, Sanjay. These incredible leaders and the entire board have been dedicated to advancing the Ohio-ACC mission: to serve as the professional home for cardiovascular team members and to optimize cardiovascular health in Ohio. I look forward to the next three years and welcome my partner Kelly Bartsch, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, AACC, as the new CV team state representative.

Thank you to all of the participants and faculty of the April 20th Ohio-ACC Spring Summit. Topics included heart failure, EP/structural, Team-Based Care Models in CV Practice, top clinical trials, and CV team oral presentations. The highlight was the Carl J. Wiggers Memorial Lecture: Acute Aortic Syndromes – State of the Art presented by Kim Eagle, MD, MACC. Special thanks to our meeting co-chairs Ashish Aneja, MD, FACC, and Kelly Bartsch, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, AACC. Take a look at the photos here (select the "photos tab."

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has announced the start of a 90-day Public Comment Period seeking input on the new, independent Board of Cardiovascular Medicine proposed by the ACC, American Heart Association, Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Rhythm Society and The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions. The comment period is a critical part of the ABMS application review and an important opportunity for the cardiovascular community, hospitals and health systems, patients and other stakeholders to show their support for the new Board and engage in the decision-making process. All comments must be submitted electronically by July 24. Learn more.

The Ohio-ACC held its annual Legislative Day in Columbus on May 7th. Members met with Ohio representatives and senators to introduce them to cardiology issues facing you and your patients. Building relationships with our state lawmakers will help ensure the Ohio General Assembly remains informed of issues facing clinicians and patients. We discussed House Bill 47 (Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in schools/athletic events), House Bill 130 (Establish an exemption to prior authorization requirements) & House Bill 291(Prescription drugs and medication switching). You can see the talking points and photos here.

Finally, congratulations to Ohio’s fellows in training (FITs), who are graduating at the end of June and entering practice. We have put together tools to support your transition to the ultimate level of

cardiovascular recognition, Fellowship of the ACC (FACC). Get the details on the FIT to FACC pathway.

If Gwen Goldfarb, our chapter executive, or I can be of assistance to you, please let us know.

A nominee must be a Fellow, Associate Fellow, Affiliate, Distinguished Fellow, or Honorary Fellow of the American College of Cardiology in Ohio.

Here is the full description of the Ohio-ACC Board of Trustees Role. We are primarily looking for your counsel and service as we work to build a strong voice for cardiology in Ohio. The time commitment is reasonable.

If you are interested in being considered, please complete this form. 

If you would like to recommend a colleague, please contact the Ohio-ACC office.

Join us for the 34th Annual Meeting at the prestigious Hilton Columbus at Easton on Saturday, October 19th. This year's meeting promises to be an engaging and informative event you won't want to miss.

We are honored to have Paul Sorajja, MD, FACC, deliver the highly anticipated Richard Lewis Memorial Lecture on the cutting-edge topic of "Transcatheter Tricuspid Therapy."

Jeffrey Kuvin, MD, FACC, will provide an insightful report from the American College of Cardiology, keeping attendees up-to-date on the latest developments and initiatives.

Other Highlighted Topics:

Mark your calendars and join your colleagues for this comprehensive and stimulating annual event.

I am delighted to begin my term as your CV team state representative. Please feel free to reach out to me with any thoughts and ideas.

Kelly Bartsch, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, AACC, Chair (2027)

Lindsey Bronstein, APRN-CNP, AACC, Columbus, 2024-2027 (2nd term)

Joanna Keefe, APRN-CNP, Columbus, 2024-2027 (1st term)

Geoffrey Patty, RN, BSN, AACC, 2024-2027 (2nd term)

Shu Lan Peng, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FCCS, 2024-2027 (1st term)

Ileah Reichert, MSN, ACNP, AACC, 2024-2027 (2nd term)

Andrea Robinson, MSN, ACNP, AACC, Immediate Past Chair (2027)

Marguerite Shanahan, MBA, BSN, RN, 2024-2027 (1st term)

Beth Short, DNP, MSN, AGACNP, FNP, 2024-2027 (1st term)

Marcia Stumpf, BSN, RN, 2024-2027 (2nd term)

Kimberly Tartt, DNP, APRN-CNP, 2024-2027 (1st term)

For the first time, the CV team members presented posters and research at the Ohio-ACC Spring Summit on April 20th in Cleveland. You can view the ePosters here. We plan to make the Spring Summit the home for our CV team posters and research, so please prepare to submit your work next spring!

We look forward to your attendance at the Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 19. The CV Team will hold a networking Happy Hour at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 18, at the Hilton Columbus at Easton. Hope to see you there!

The Ohio-ACC FIT presented a very successful Fellow Grand Rounds Series this year. Topics were geared towards career development. You can see the recordings from this series here.

Special thanks to our Ohio-ACC Jeopardy team who competed at the annual FIT Jeopardy: Battle of the Chapters competition during ACC.24 in Atlanta. Thank you to Robert Dunn, MD, David Heredia, MD, and Abdallah Masri, MD. FIT Jeopardy is a friendly competition allowing teams of Fellows in Training from state and international chapters to test their clinical knowledge and compete for the title of FIT Jeopardy Champion. The competition promotes a healthy rivalry between ACC Chapters, fosters FIT engagement, and provides educational value to both the contestants and the audience.

Brianna French, MD, Summa Health-NEOMED, Co-Chair

Andrew Hornick MD, The Ohio State University, Co-Chair

Moaaz Baghal, MD, St. Vincent Medical Center

Jennifer Barbadora, MD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Hanad Bashir, MD, The Christ Hospital

Eunice Dugan, MD, Cleveland Clinic

Zachary Gilbert, MD, Kettering Health

Abdelmoniem Moustafa, MD, University of Toledo

Mariam Rana, MBBS, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Sneha Sharma, DO, The Ohio State University

Fares Sukhon, MD, MetroHealth

Robert Sibilila, MD, University of Cincinnati

Rachel Wester, DO, OhioHealth-Doctors Hospital

Sneha Sharma, DO, The Ohio State University, Co-Chair

Fares Sukhon, MD, MetroHealth, Co-Chair

Moaaz Baghal, MD, St. Vincent Medical Center

Jennifer Barbadora, MD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Hanad Bashir, MD, The Christ Hospital

Zeryab Khan, DO, OhioHealth-Doctors Hospital

Tasveer Khawaja, MD, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Edwin Lu, MD, The Ohio State University

Hernan Marcos, MD, MetroHealth

Abdallah Masri, MD, NEOMED/CMEF/Aultman Hospital

Rahul Mital, MD, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital

Mitra Patel, MD, University of Toledo

Yasmine Robinson, DO, Summa Health

Seth Scheetz, MD, Cleveland Clinic

What: Ohio-ACC Poster Competition on Saturday, October 19, during the Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting at the Hilton Columbus at Easton

Requirements: Submit your abstract, a pdf of your poster, and an optional link to an MP4 voice-over PowerPoint presentation of your submission. Only ONE abstract may be submitted per person.

> All current Ohio fellows in a cardiology training program are invited to participate.

Eligible submission: Clinical Research or a Case Report.

> All current Ohio medical residents in a training program are invited to participate.

Eligible submission: Case Report only.

Meeting Registration: Required. Register for the meeting here.

Learn more, and submit your abstract today!

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 really hope that you will find this information useful for your practice.

The New Obesity Drugs: What Cardiac Practitioners Need to Know

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

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

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited autosomal dominant genetic heart disease. While the true prevalence is likely higher due to underdiagnosis, it is estimated that 1:200 to 1:500 individuals in the United States have unexplained asymptomatic hypertrophy¹. In adults, diagnosis is typically established by echocardiography (ECHO) or cardiovascular magnetic resonance imagining (cMRI) that demonstrates septal wall thickness of ≥ 15 mm in the absence of secondary causes or ≥ 13 mm in familial HCM. The presence of a left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction with a gradient of ≥ 30 mm Hg is indicative of obstruction, often referred to as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). LVOT obstruction is linked with impaired stroke volume and increased risk of mortality¹. Traditional medications for symptomatic HOCM patients include non-vasodilating beta-blockers, non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, and/or disopyramide². These agents do not modify underlying molecular mechanism of the disease. In patients who are refractory to medical therapy, septal reduction therapy (SRT) with surgical myectomy or alcohol septal ablation can improve symptoms, quality of life, and survival, however they are invasive procedures that require specialized centers to achieve optimal outcomes³.

Cardiac muscle hypercontractility via enhanced cardiac actin-myosin interactions plays a major pathophysiological role in promoting LVOT obstruction in patients with HOCM⁴. Mavacamten is a selective allosteric inhibitor of cardiac myosin ATPase, that reduces actin-myosin cross-bridge formation, leading to reduced cardiac contractility⁴. The EXPLORER-HCM study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 251 patients. The primary outcome was a ≥ 1.5 mL/kg/min increase in peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) and at least one New York Heart Association (NYHA) class reduction or a ≥ 3 mL/kg/min increase in pVO2 without NYHA class worsening. Of the 123 patients on mavacamten, 45 (37%) met the primary endpoint compared to 22 (17%) of 128 patients on placebo (+19.4%; 95% CI 8.7% –30.1%). Post-exercise LVOT gradient was reduced to a greater extent in the mavacemten compared to placebo (-36 mmHg; 95%CI -43.2 mmHg – -28.1 mmHg). The study also demonstrated that mavacamten was associated with improved exercise capacity and symptoms compared to placebo⁴. The VALOR-HCM study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial that sought to evaluate patients who were referred for SRT³. Patients assigned to mavacamten at baseline continued the drug for 56 weeks, while individuals assigned to placebo crossed over to mavacamten from week 16 to week 56. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients undergoing SRT, remaining guideline eligible, or unevaluable SRT status. Of the 56 patients in the original mavacamten group, 3 underwent SRT, 1 was SRT eligible, and 1 was not SRT evaluable. Of the 52 in the placebo crossover group, 3 underwent SRT, 4 were SRT eligible, and 3 were not SRT evaluable. Similar to the EXPLORER-HCM study, mavacamten showed an improvement in LVOT gradient and improvement in NYHA class compared to placebo³.

Mavacamten offers a previously unmet need for novel therapies in the treatment of HOCM. The medication has shown to improve quality of life, LVOT gradient, symptoms, and reduce the need for SRT³. Close monitoring for development of systolic dysfunction and drug-drug interactions remains vital for ongoing care. Long-term data is needed to gain further insight into the sustainability of the medication effects. There are ongoing phase 3 studies of other cardiac myosin inhibitors such as aficamten which may increase future therapeutic options for HOCM⁶.

1. Ommen SR, Mital S, Burke MA, et al. 2020 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2020;142(25):e558-e631.

2. Green KH, Augustus. Mavacamten for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 2021; https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20211208/mavacamten-for-symptomatic-obstructive-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy. Accessed 04/04/2024, 2024.

3. Desai MY, Owens A, Wolski K, et al. Mavacamten in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Referred for Septal Reduction: Week 56 Results From the VALOR-HCM Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Cardiol. 2023;8(10):968-977.

4. Olivotto I, Oreziak A, Barriales-Villa R, et al. Mavacamten for treatment of symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (EXPLORER-HCM): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2020;396(10253):759-769.

5. Camzyos (mavacamten) [package insert]. Princeton, NJ: Bristol Myers Squibb; 2023.

6. Patel J, Wang A, Naidu SS, Frishman WH, Aronow WS. Aficamten-A Second in Class Cardiac Myosin Inhibitor for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Cardiol Rev. 2023.

Are you interested in being a poster judge for the upcoming Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting? The guidelines for the competition can be viewed here. Your role would be to judge the submissions via an online portal in mid-September.

You are also cordially invited to the Ohio-ACC Annual Meeting on October 19th at the Hilton Columbus at Easton where the posters will be on display. As a token of appreciation for serving as a judge,

there will be a reduced registration fee for you. Here is the meeting registration page; simply select the "poster judge" option.

New ACC/AHA Guideline Focuses on Evaluation, Management of People With HCM

The newest clinical guideline, released by the ACC and the American Heart Association (AHA), provides the latest evidence-based recommendations for effectively managing individuals diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).Updated recommendations in the guideline reflect recent evidence about HCM treatment and management including new forms of pharmacologic management like cardiac myosin inhibitors; participation in vigorous recreational activities and competitive sports; and risk stratification for sudden cardiac death.

Read more and find guideline-related resources on the JACC.org Guideline Hub.

Mark your calendars – ACC’s Legislative Conference is taking place Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Washington, DC! This signature ACC Advocacy event provides members with opportunities to learn about health policy issues affecting patients and the profession from ACC staff, member leaders and other health policy experts. On the last day of the conference, members will meet with congressional offices to help lawmakers understand the impact their legislative decisions have on the future of cardiovascular care. Fellows in training and early career professionals will have the opportunity to apply for travel awards to attend. Registration will be available in the coming weeks. For any questions about Legislative Conference, please do not hesitate to reach out to advocacyleg@acc.org.

In the meantime, check out the ACC Advocate Checklist to stay engaged with advocacy year-round. There are so many ways to get involved in advocacy to help transform cardiovascular care and the ACC Advocate checklist makes it easy to get started. From engaging with your peers to participating in the political process through meetings with lawmakers, this checklist covers all key components that go into a successful advocacy strategy. Checklist activities will be tracked through a form that will be sent out monthly to individuals who sign up to participate. ACC Advocates who complete the checklist will be recognized for their accomplishment at Legislative Conference and in various ACC publications! 

If you are interested in participating or have any questions about the checklist, please reach out to Ryan Moore (rmoore@acc.org).

The ACC has officially launched the new CV ASC Registry Suite – the first unified registry for cardiac procedures performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and office-based labs. With the expansion of ASCs performing select cardiac procedures on eligible patients throughout the U.S., the newest NCDR registry is the first of its kind to easily fit into the patient care workflow and provide these centers with data-driven insights for measuring care delivery and outcomes. The CV ASC Registry Suite leverages the existing NCDR CathPCI Registry and EP Device Implant Registry platforms and metrics to offer big-picture reviews, at-a-glance assessments, and patient-level drill-downs on procedures such as diagnostic cardiac catheterization, PCI, and defibrillator and pacemaker implants. Learn more.

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.