Highlights of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Studies Presented at the 2023 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Focused review highlighting ten select studies presented at the 2023 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Included studies assessed semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in overweight or obese patients without diabetes (SELECT); dapagliflozin in patients with acute myocardial infarction without diabetes (DAPA-MI); effects of dietary sodium on systolic blood pressure in middle-aged individuals (CARDIA-SSBP); long-term blood pressure control after hypertensive pregnancy with physician guided self-management (POP-HT); effect and safety of zilebesiran, an RNA interference therapy, for sustained blood pressure reduction (KARDIA-1); recaticimab add-on therapy in patients with non-familial hypercholesterolemia and mixed hyperlipidemia (REMAIN-2); efficacy and safety of lepodisiran an extended duration short-interfering RNA targeting lipoprotein(a); safety and pharmacodynamic effects of an investigational DNA base editing medicine that inactivates the PCSK9 gene and lowers LDL cholesterol (VERVE-101); automated referral to centralized pharmacy services for evidence-based statin initiation in high-risk patients; and effects of intensive blood pressure lowering in reducing risk of cardiovascular events (ESPRIT). Research presented at the 2023 AHA Scientific Sessions emphasized innovative strategies in cardiovascular disease prevention and management.

COVID-19 telehealth preparedness: a cross-sectional assessment of cardiology practices in the USA

Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic forced medical practices to augment healthcare delivery to remote and virtual services. We describe the results of a nationwide survey of cardiovascular professionals regarding telehealth perspectives. Materials & methods: A 31-question survey was sent early in the pandemic to assess the impact of COVID-19 on telehealth adoption & reimbursement. Results: A total of 342 clinicians across 42 states participated. 77% were using telehealth, with the majority initiating usage 2 months after the COVID-19 shutdown. A variety of video-based systems were used. Telehealth integration requirements differed, with electronic medical record integration being mandated in more urban than rural practices (70 vs 59%; p < 0.005). Many implementation barriers surfaced, with over 75% of respondents emphasizing reimbursement uncertainty and concerns for telehealth generalizability given the complexity of cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion: Substantial variation exists in telehealth practices. Further studies and legislation are needed to improve access, reimbursement and the quality of telehealth-based cardiovascular care.

Artificial intelligence in healthcare: a primer for medical education in radiomics

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) to healthcare has garnered significant enthusiasm in recent years. Despite the adoption of new analytic approaches, medical education on AI is lacking. We aim to create a usable AI primer for medical education. We discuss how to generate a clinical question involving AI, what data are suitable for AI research, how to prepare a dataset for training and how to determine if the output has clinical utility. To illustrate this process, we focused on an example of how medical imaging is employed in designing a machine learning model. Our proposed medical education curriculum addresses AI's potential and limitations for enhancing clinicians' skills in research, applied statistics and care delivery.