Meetings

Highlights include a novel liquid biopsy for early-stage pancreatic cancer, an oncolytic virus for advanced cancer treatment and an artificial intelligence-driven method for making accurate colorectal cancer prognoses

People with a buildup of fatty atherosclerotic plaque in the heart’s arteries considered at risk of rupturing were far less likely to suffer a serious cardiac event if they underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure to open blocked arteries, compared with those who took medications alone but did not undergo PCI, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

A new system that uses dehydrated alcohol to deactivate certain nerves surrounding the kidneys’ arteries in order to control high blood pressure met its primary endpoint—lowering blood pressure at three months as measured with a 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure monitor—in a pivotal phase 3 trial presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was found to bring no increased risks and was associated with substantial decreased rates of death or stroke at one year in low-risk patients, compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), according to findings presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

People with chronic chest pain who received a coronary sinus reducer (CSR)—a stent thought to increase the amount of oxygen-rich blood flowing to the heart muscle—experienced significant reductions in the daily number of chest pain episodes but did not show evidence of increased overall blood flow to the heart compared with patients who received a placebo procedure, according to six-month results from a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

One-year success rates from angioplasty procedures to open clogged arteries in the legs were significantly higher among patients whose procedures were guided by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) alongside angiography compared with those whose procedures were guided by angiography alone, in a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

PHILADELPHIA- Leading experts in lung and heart transplant from Penn Medicine will converge in Prague from April 10-13 for ISHLT’s annual conference. Connecting with peers from around the world, Penn experts will delve into the latest in advanced heart and lung disease and transplantation. “I'm thrilled to see so many of our experts participating in this global event, eager to share their knowledge and collaborate with colleagues from around the world. It's truly an exciting opportunity for us to contribute to the advancement of our field on an international stage," said Jason Christie, MD, MS, Chief of Penn’s Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care division, current President of the ISHLT. "ISHLT2024 promises to be an unparalleled gathering of minds in the field of heart and lung transplantation.”

Using a web application to qualify individuals for treatment with a non-prescription statin closely matched the results of clinician assessments in determining a person’s eligibility for taking statins to lower cholesterol, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session. Participants who were given access to a 5 mg dose of rosuvastatin using this technology-assisted approach experienced a 35.5% reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, on average, six months after starting treatment.  

Administering tranexamic acid (TxA), a drug used to reduce bleeding during heart surgery, topically rather than intravenously did not meet its primary endpoint of reducing seizures and was stopped early due to an increased risk of bleeding events, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

The investigational drug ninerafaxstat showed a good tolerability and safety profile, along with evidence of improvements in symptoms and exercise capacity among people with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), according to results of a 12-week phase 2 trial presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

One of the first studies to attempt to treat early-stage heart failure in patients with Type 2 diabetes did not meet its primary endpoint, but a preplanned subgroup analysis found a statistically significant effect of treatment in patients who were not taking SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 RAs, which are antidiabetic medications that also have benefits for the heart. The research was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.