This Week in Cardiology

Latest Episodes:

Jul 18 2025 This Week in Cardiology Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Finerenone, what not to consider when choosing treatment of AS, brain health after atrial fibrillation ablation, early rhythm control for AF, and Watchman reimbursement cuts are discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I Finerenone FDA Widens Indication of Finerenone for Heart Failure Patients

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/fda-widens-indication-finerenone-heart-failure-patients-2025a1000ive

FDA finerenone approval https://bayer2019tf.q4web.com/news/news-details/2025/U-S--FDA-Approves-KERENDIA-finerenone-to-Treat-Patients-With-Heart-Failure-With-Left-Ventricular-Ejection-Fraction-40-Following-Priority-Review/default.aspx
FINEARTS-HF trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2407107

II Choosing TAVI or Surgical AVR

Carbon Emission when treating AS

EHJ study https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf379

III Brain Lesions and Visual Migraine After Left-Sided Ablations Post-Ablation Visual Auras a Sign of Transient Brain Injury?https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/post-ablation-visual-auras-sign-transient-brain-injury-2025a1000iro

TRAVERSE Trial https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.071352
TRAVERSE Migraine Substudy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2025.06.035

IV Early Rhythm Control for AF

EHJ Rapid Communication https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf397
EAST-AFNET 4 Trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2019422

V Watchman Cuts

CMS Reduces LAAO Value in Proposed Fee Schedule https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2025/07/15/20/08/CMS-Reduces-LAAO-Value-in-Proposed-2026

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The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington

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Jul 11 2025 This Week in Cardiology Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Approval of first-generation devices, the ticagrelor controversy, ICD longevity, the PRAGUE-25 trial (one of the most important trials of the year), and some thoughts on the end of EP as a profession are the topics John Mandrola, MD, discusses in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I More Ticagrelor Controversy

BMJ Investigation Finds More Concerns in Ticagrelor Trials https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/investigation-bmj-raises-more-concerns-about-ticagrelor-2025a1000gh3

Ticagrelor PLATO study https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r1201
Ticagrelor vs Clopidogrel https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0904327

Review of the Ticagrelor Trials Evidence Base https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.031606
The Plato Trial: Do you believe in magic? https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehp545
ONSET/OFFSET Antiplatelet Effects https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.109.912550
RESPOND Study https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.109.919456

II ICD Battery Longevity

Variability in ICD Battery Longevity https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2025.05.031

PRAGUE-25 Trial of AF Ablation vs LFM

PRAGUE-25 Trial https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.04.042

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Jun 27 2025 This Week in Cardiology Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

FDA approves triple-drug polypill, a change of opinion, a deep dive into invasive pulmonary embolism therapies, heart disease trends, and diabetes care is on fire are the topics John Mandrola, MD, discusses in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I FDA News in HTN

FDA announcement https://george-medicines.com/george-medicines-announces-fda-approval-of-widaplik-telmisartan-amlodipine-and-indapamide-a-new-single-pill-combination-treatment-for-hypertension-in-adults-including-initial-treatment/
Lancet Study https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01744-6
JACC study vs placebo https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.08.025
JAMA Cardiology Meta-analysis https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2804313

II Invasive PE Therapy

EHJ-Open review: https://academic.oup.com/ehjopen/article/5/3/oeaf071/8156689

PEITHO Trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1302097
REAL PE Observational Study https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11308131/

III Heart Disease Trends

King et al https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.038644

IV Diabetes Coverage

Medscape Link https://www.medscape.com/viewcollection/37830

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The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington

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Jun 20 2025 This Week in Cardiology Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

A big, deep dive into CTA and fractional flow reserve CT, and a sobering report on the new EVOQUE valve are discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I Listener Feedback and Correction

CRAAFT HF https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06505798

II Imaging and Behavior Change

SCOT HEART 1 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1805971
Five Reasons I Don't Believe an Imaging Test Improves Outcomes https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/901204
SCOT HEART 2 https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jcmg.2024.05.016

III. More on Imaging and CT FFR Symptoms Don't Always Indicate the Severity of Coronary Artery Disease https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/symptoms-dont-always-indicate-severity-coronary-artery-2025a1000ge6

ADVANCE Registry Protocol https://www.journalofcardiovascularct.com/article/S1934-5925(16)30288-X/abstract

Research Letter JACC CV Imaging https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmg.2025.05.002
ADVANCE Registry Paper 2018 https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy530
Cook et al JAMA Card https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2629072
Low diagnostic yield Patel paper NEJM https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0907272
Venk Murthy thread https://x.com/venkmurthy/status/1033379922679660544

IV EVOQUE Real World Data

JACC has published a sobering research letter on the Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement called EVOQUE valve.

Lupu et al JACC IV https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcin.2025.03.019
TRISCEND II https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2401918

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Jun 13 2025 This Week in Cardiology Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Listener feedback on cardiac sarcoidosis, SA node ablation, surgical AF ablation, chronic kidney disease protection, and recruiting for clinical trials are the topics John Mandrola, MD, discusses in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I Listener Feedback

EHJ paper Mathijssen et al https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf338
Nordenswan et al https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCEP.117.006145#tab-contributors

II IST

HR Case Reports https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrcr.2025.05.017
Lakkireddy et al https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2021.07.010

III Survival After Surgical AF ablation during CABG

McClure et al https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/eux336
Schaffer et al https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.03.044

IV Finerenone with Empagliflozin in CKD and DM

The Confidence Trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2410659

V Recruiting for Important Trials and the Stature of EP as a Profession

Two UK Cardiology Trials Struggle to Recruit Patients

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/two-uk-cardiology-trials-struggle-recruit-patients-2025a1000ffs

CRAFT HF https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06505798
BRITISH https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2023.09.008
PROFID https://profid-project.eu/profid-ehra-trial/

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The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington

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Jun 06 2025 This Week in Cardiology Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Listener feedback on cardiac sarcoidosis, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, less is more when it comes to post-stent antiplatelets, lipoprotein(a), and atrial fibrillation in HFpEF are discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I Listener Feedback

Mathijssen https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf338
Poyhonen https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCEP.124.013239

II News in out of hospital cardiac arrest

AHA Press Release https://newsroom.heart.org/news/nfl-safety-justin-reid-expands-cpr-education-for-youth-through-summer-program
Chan et al https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.124.011799

III Post-Stent Antiplatelet

4D ACS trial https://eurointervention.pcronline.com/article/one-month-dual-antiplatelet-therapy-followed-by-prasugrel-monotherapy-at-a-reduced-dose-the-4d-acs-randomised-trial

IV Lp(a) and the new PREVENT equation for Predicting cardiac events

Aug 02, 2024 This Week in Cardiology Podcast https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/1001429

Bhatia et al https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2835022

V AF in HFpEF

Saksena et al https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euad095

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The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington

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May 30 2025 This Week in Cardiology May 30, 2025

Show notes

Listener feedback, CRT vs CSP, important clues on the ECG, beta-blocker interruption after myocardial infarction, novel approaches to LDL-C lowering, and ICD decisions in cardiac sarcoidosis are the topics John Mandrola, MD, discusses in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I Listener Feedback

II CRT vs CSP – CONSYST-CRT

• Trial JACC EP https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacep.2025.03.024

III The Important QRS

• Kewcharoen et al https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCEP.125.013809

IV ABYSS Trial of BB Interruption after MI Continues to be Mis-interpreted

• ABYSS Main https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2404204

• ABYSS substudy https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf170

• REDUCE AMI https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2401479

V Oral PCSK9i and the PURSUIT Trial

• Koren et al https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.03.499

• Editorial https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.03.518

• Is Lifelong LDL-C Lowering Within Reach? The heart-1 Gene-Editing Trial https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/998162

• Heart-1 Gene Therapy Trial Pauses Enrollment https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/998162

• EHJ coverage VERVE https://academic.oup.com/ehjcvp/article/10/2/87/7455877

VI Cardiac Sarcoidosis and Risk of VT

• EHJ paper Mathijssen et al https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf338

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The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington

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May 23 2025 This Week in Cardiology May 23, 2025

Show notes

Listener feedback on sports "disqualification," big digoxin news, Brugada syndrome, another positive finerenone study, and unblinded transcatheter trials are discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I Listener Feedback

JACC EP Paper https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacep.2025.03.013

II Digoxin News

DIGIT HF Baseline Characteristics paper https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.3679
DIGIT HF Rationale paper https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6607489/
Dig trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199702203360801
DECISION trial https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejhf.3428
Ziff et al BMJ meta-analysis https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4451

III Brugada Syndrome

Gomes et al https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euaf091

IV Another Finerenone Substudy Published

FINEARTS-HF trial substudy, Bhatt, A et al https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2025.05.006
FINEARTS HF Main paper https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2407107
TOPCAT https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1313731
TOPCAT regional variation Circ paper https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.114.013255

V Another Opinion on Unblinded Transcatheter Intervention Trials

Kaul https://eurointervention.pcronline.com/article/unblinded-trials-of-transcatheter-interventions-with-subjective-endpoints-what-are-the-implications

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May 16 2025 This Week in Cardiology May 16, 2025

Show notes

The BedMed trial of nighttime BP meds, SURMOUNT-5, Troponin URL, gene tests in patients with no disease, and guideline-directed medical therapy for HF are the topics John Mandrola, MD, discusses in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I Timing of BP Meds – The BedMed RCT

MAPEC https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2010.510230
Hygia https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz754
Turgeon et al https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.121.16501
TIME trial https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01786-X
BedMed https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2833860
Time Antihypertensives Taken Doesn't Matter: New Trials https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/time-antihypertensives-taken-doesnt-matter-new-trials-2024a1000g3z
Timing of BP Dosing Doesn't Matter: BedMed and BedMed-Frail https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/timing-blood-pressure-dosing-doesnt-matter-again-bedmed-and-2024a1000fz2
Timing of Blood Pressure Meds Doesn't Affect Outcomes: BedMed in Print https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/timing-blood-pressure-meds-doesnt-affect-outcomes-bedmed-2025a1000cdm

II Tirzepatide vs Semaglutide

SURMOUNT 5 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2416394

III Age-specific Troponins

Coyle and McEvoy https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf308
Mandrola/Foy JAMA-IM https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2777967

IV Return to Play for Gene Positive Phenotype Negative athletes

Martinez et al https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacep.2025.03.013

V Rapid Titration of GDMT in HF

STRONG HF: More Beats Less After Discharge for Heart Failure https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/983698

JACC-HF Substudy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchf.2025.02.020
STRONG HF https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02076-1
AVID https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa013474
EAST https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa013474

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May 09 2025 This Week in Cardiology May 09, 2025

Show notes

The controversial KETO-CTA study, tough decisions in subclinical AF, and another potentially huge benefit for GLP-1 agonist drugs are discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week's podcast.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit:

https://www.medscape.com/twic

I The KETO-CTA Study

JACC Advances Paper: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.101686
Meta-analysis https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.01.009

II Subclinical AF – Anticoagulate or Not?

Anticoagulation in Subclinical AF May Offer Little Benefit

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/anticoagulation-subclinical-af-may-offer-little-benefit-2025a1000b31

Treat AFib 'Diagnosed' by Smartwatch

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/treat-afib-diagnosed-smartwatch-2025a1000avp

JAMA NO paper https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2833437
NOAH https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2303062
ARTESIA https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2310234
McIntyre meta-analysis https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.067512
Singer et al https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2777526/
Stroke paper https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.045843
American Journal of Medicine paper https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38331136/

III GLP1a for Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease

ESSENCE trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2413258

Features

CABG Still Superior to Stents Despite FAME 3 Endpoint Swap

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/cabg-still-superior-stents-despite-fame-3-endpoint-swap-2025a1000ao5

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The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington

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