ACC Highlights the Latest in CV Care Delivery in Latin America and Middle East

The ACC continued its commitment to bring localized education to cardiovascular clinicians worldwide with the last of its major regional conferences for 2025 – ACC Latin America in Mexico City and ACC Middle East in Dubai. Both events brought together leading cardiovascular experts, clinicians and trainees to address the rising burden of heart disease in their respective regions and share evidence-based strategies for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

ACC Latin America 2025, held in partnership with the ACC Mexico Chapter in September, focused on emerging trends in heart disease across the region, where rates of cardiovascular mortality are once again on the rise. Attendees engaged in plenary sessions on acute coronary syndromes, heart failure guidelines and women in cardiology leadership, while Fellows-in-Training (FITs) competed in ACC FIT Jeopardy for a chance to represent the region at ACC.26 in New Orleans. The conference also featured clinical case presentations on topics ranging from music therapy in cardiac ICUs to treatment adherence in hypertensive patients.

Just weeks later, ACC Middle East 2025 took place in collaboration with the Emirates Cardiac Society, alongside its 16th annual conference. With cardiovascular deaths in the Middle East and North Africa rising by nearly 50% over the past three decades, the event spotlighted regional challenges such as hypertension, obesity and health care delivery disparities. Plenary sessions explored the role of AI in cardiology, equitable care strategies and culturally attuned approaches to prevention.

Like its Latin American counterpart, ACC Middle East also hosted FIT Jeopardy. Both conferences underscored the ACC's commitment to regional collaboration, education and innovation. They also offered an opportunity to welcome approximately 60 new Fellows from across both regions to the College.

"As ACC continues to expand its global footprint, these regional gatherings serve as powerful reminders that care transformation is not one-size-fits-all. Instead, it is built on partnerships, cultural understanding and a shared dedication to improving heart health – region by region, patient by patient," says ACC President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC.

Top posters from ACC Latin America.

Top abstract highlights from ACC Middle East.

Taking Steps to Transform Heart Failure Care

Transform HF Care: New Horizons in Treatment, a new ACC program made possible by support from Bayer, will educate clinicians on the latest advances, medications and interventions emerging in heart failure (HF) management and treatment.

"Managing HF can be complex and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to management. There are different subtypes and patients often present with comorbidities, like diabetes, chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure, that can delay diagnosis and complicate treatment plans. Certain types of HF also disproportionately impact certain patient populations, including women and Black and Hispanic patients, many of whom have higher rates of hospitalization and readmission," says Melvin Echols, MD, MSCR, FACC, program co-chair and ACC's chief health equity officer.

Through the 18-month Transform HF Care education program, clinicians will receive the necessary education to ensure prompt and evidence-based use of HF therapies and improve outcomes among patients. The program will include education focused on:

• Disease state basics, including trends in incidence, underlying drivers, prevalence in different racial and ethnic groups and sexes, and optimizing treatment for patients with comorbidities.
• Diagnostic competencies, including classifying different HF phenotypes – HFpEF, HFrEF and HFmrEF, recognizing HF symptoms, and using AI and algorithms to more accurately confirm HF.
• Practical implementation, including following guideline-directed medical therapy for HFmrEF and HFpEF, recent evidence on the benefits of finerenone and SGLT2i therapy, and understanding new treatment options (vs. standard therapies) and how to incorporate them into the treatment paradigm.

"Awareness of the latest therapies can significantly improve patient outcomes. Effective management can lead to reduced symptoms, fewer hospitalizations, prolonged life and better quality of life for patients with HF," says Alison L. Bailey, MD, FACC, program co-chair. "When clinicians are well-informed about therapies, they can better educate and involve patients in their treatment decisions, fostering a collaborative approach to care that can improve adherence and outcomes."

For more information on the program, visit ACC.org/TransformHFCare.

Nicole Bhave Named ACC Annual Scientific Session Vice Chair

Congratulations to Nicole Bhave, MD, FACC, who was named ACC's next Annual Scientific Session vice chair for ACC.27 and ACC.28. Her term will be followed by a two-year term as chair for ACC.29 and ACC.30.

"Our annual meeting showcases cutting-edge science and provides invaluable opportunities for us to connect as a cardiovascular community," Bhave says. "I look forward to building on the impressive work that Drs. Berlacher and Damp are doing, leveraging innovative educational formats to deliver actionable clinical knowledge to our colleagues here and throughout the world."

Bhave is a general cardiologist and echocardiographer at University of Michigan Health, where she also serves as the associate chief medical information officer for cardiology. She graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed her internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. At the University of Chicago, she completed fellowships in cardiovascular medicine and multimodality imaging. Her clinical and research interests include valvular heart disease and cardiovascular care in the context of chronic kidney and liver disease.

Bhave has served in many volunteer roles for the ACC. She is the immediate past chair of the ACC Solution Set Oversight Committee and a current member of the ACC Scientific Publications Committee, ACC Digital Platforms Workgroup, ACC Michigan Chapter board and Performance Question Writing Committee for the Collaborative Maintenance Pathway.

JACC: Asia and JACC: Advances Now Eligible For Impact Factors

The ACC is proud to announce that two of its prestigious journals – JACC: Asia and JACC: Advances – will receive an official Impact Factor, with the first rankings being issued in June 2026 as part of the Clarivate release. This milestone reflects both journals' growing influence and scholarly contributions to cardiovascular medicine worldwide.

While not a perfect metric, the Impact Factor remains the most widely recognized metric for assessing peer-reviewed journal quality and reach. JACC: Asia, launched in 2021, and JACC: Advances, launched in 2022, are excited to provide the benefit of Impact Factor recognition to its authors. Stay tuned for the official Impact Factor announcement next summer.

Clinical Topics: Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies, Acute Heart Failure

Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, Journal Impact Factor, Leadership, ACC Annual Scientific Session, Heart Failure, Education, Delivery of Health Care, Latin America, Middle East