ACC leaders were on the virtual move from Oct. 7 to 10, participating in two separate cardiovascular society meetings in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Both meetings provided unique opportunities to engage in discussions around cardiovascular care throughout the Middle East region and share the latest cardiovascular research surrounding critical topics like STEMI care, prevention, valve disease and more.

ACC President Athena Poppas, MD, FACC; former ACC Board of Trustees member Robert Hendel, MD, FACC; ACC Membership Committee Chair B. Hadley Wilson, MD, FACC; and former ACC Cardiac Surgery Team Council Chair Alistair Phillips, MD, FACC, all took part virtually in the hybrid CardioAlex meeting in Alexandria, Egypt. Chaired by Mohamed A. Sobhy Aly, MBChB, FACC, who also sits on the ACC's Assembly of International Governors (AIG) Steering Committee, the meeting brought together cardiovascular clinicians from the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world for discussion and best practices related primarily to valvular disease. Among the topics discussed: advances in diagnosis and treatment of cardiac amyloidosis; coronary CT angiography for ischemic heart disease; first-hand insights into uremic cardiomyopathy; mitral valve disease updates; and the role of the team, including surgeons, in treating valve disease.

The ACC's new Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative (GHATI), which is aimed at improving #STEMI care worldwide, was also a topic of conversation at CardioAlex, as well as the Saudi Heart Association Annual Conference. The Saudi Heart Association meeting, which kicked off on Oct. 8, included Wilson, who spoke to GHATI at both meetings, ACC Vice President Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC, and ACC AIG Chair Hani Najm, MD, MSc, FACC. Topics addressed ranged from STEMI vs. NSTEMI in patients with acute coronary syndrome to the ACC/AHA Primary Prevention Guideline. In addition, the ACC debuted its new CardioSmart prevention infographics in Arabic, as well as the new Multilingual ASCVD Risk Estimator App, a simplified web-based version of the ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus app available in Arabic, English and Portuguese that provides clinicians with an efficient way to calculate a patient's estimated 10-year ASCVD risk, optimal risk and lifetime risk.

The College was also privileged to announce the launch of the Hani Najm Global Scholar Awards program during the Saudi Heart Association Opening Session. Part of the ACC's Campaign for the Future, the Hani Najm Global Scholar Awards will allow two early career cardiologists – one from a Gulf country and one from another Middle East or North African country – to come to the U.S. for a four-week observership at a major health system, which will culminate with attendance at that year's ACC Annual Scientific Session. Award winners will be invited to Early Career Section programming and be recognized during Convocation.

"One of the most common requests from international physicians is the opportunity to train in the United States with the help of the American College of Cardiology. I feel privileged to be able to sponsor this award, as the sharing of knowledge is the best way to combat the devastating effects of cardiovascular disease worldwide," Najm said.

"The ACC believes that noncommunicable disease trends, including heart disease, are alarming, unacceptable and most importantly reversible through concerted efforts by leaders in global health, including our own organization," said John Gordon Harold, MD, MACC, chair of the ACC's Campaign for the Future and an ACC past president. "It is only through educating the next generation of cardiovascular leaders that we will ultimately reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease worldwide. The Hani Najm Global Scholar Awards will allow young cardiologists to learn from their colleagues in the U.S., but also share effective solutions from their home institutions."

Clinical Topics: Acute Coronary Syndromes, Cardiovascular Care Team, Invasive Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, Prevention, Stable Ischemic Heart Disease, Vascular Medicine, Interventions and ACS, Interventions and Imaging, Interventions and Vascular Medicine, Angiography, Nuclear Imaging, Chronic Angina

Keywords: ACC International, ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Saudi Arabia, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Egypt, Global Health, Mitral Valve, Angiography, Primary Prevention

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