ACC Asia 2024 Explores Emerging Trends and Strategies For Improving Global Heart Health

The ACC and the Cardiological Society of India hosted ACC Asia 2024 on August 16-18 in Delhi, India, bringing together cardiovascular clinicians from throughout the region to examine emerging trends and best practices in cardiovascular care.

"One of the most meaningful outcomes of the annual ACC Asia conference is the ability to communicate with other cardiologists to strategize and innovate new ideas," said Eugene Yang, MD, MS, FACC, one of the ACC Asia conference co-chairs. "As a global community, we all share a common goal to transform cardiovascular care for all."

The conference offered an opportunity for attendees to connect and exchange ideas with regional and global colleagues on topics like air pollution and cardiovascular disease, artificial intelligence in cardiology, global perspectives on heart failure management, lifestyle and therapeutic interventions related to obesity, latest in imaging innovations, and more. A pre-conference session focused entirely on research and publication, including tips for publishing in JACC: Asia, transforming your research into a manuscript and more.

"It is critical for all members of the cardiac care team to become well-acquainted with the very latest in cardiovascular care innovation. ACC Asia puts the spotlight on emerging trends for treating patients with cardiovascular disease, giving attendees the tools they need to elevate their practice," said Pratap Chandra Rath, MD, DM, FACC, ACC Asia's conference co-chair.

During ACC Asia 2024, conference attendees also had the opportunity to join an NCD Academy symposium, featuring a keynote by Dorairaj Prabhakaran, MD, DM, MSc, on integrated care in disease management, followed by a discussion led by Yang and ACC President Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC. The always popular FIT Jeopardy made for an evening of friendly competition, with Singapore taking home the win.

Clinical cases and poster presentations were another meeting highlight, with new research from across the region looking at topics such as the effects of noise exposure on blood pressure, the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on the cardiovascular disease burden in the Middle East and more. In one study, researchers found that drinking over 400 mg of caffeine per day on most days of the week could increase the susceptibility of otherwise healthy individuals to cardiovascular disease.

"Due to its effect on the autonomic nervous system, regular caffeine consumption could put otherwise healthy individuals at risk of hypertension and other cardiovascular events," said lead author Nency Kagathara, MBBS. "Increasing awareness of these risks is vital to improve heart health for all."

Click here to read more about the caffeine study.

Click here for more on the noise pollution study.

Early Heart Attack Education in Action

Scott Paulsen, a resident of Tampa Bay, FL, credits an Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC) resource he received while attending an AED training session at his work in helping save his life.

Ten days after the training, Paulsen experienced discomfort in his chest that would not subside. Remembering the advice he read in the EHAC pamphlet, he went to the emergency department to get checked out. Paulsen later learned he had an aortic dissection and was transferred to the AdventHealth Pepin Heart Institute for surgery.

"The pain being so mild or the symptoms being so mild, I could've easily gone to bed and wrote it off, and what I understand, I wouldn't have woken up that night," said Paulsen. He has since recovered and is doing well. The ACC's EHAC program works to educate the public about early signs of heart attack so that people can detect the symptoms and intervene, preventing heart damage and even death due to a major cardiovascular event.

Amanda McCall, BSN, RN, the cardiovascular accreditation coordinator at AdventHealth Zephyrhills and AdventHealth Dade City, led the AED training that Paulsen attended, providing the EHAC materials that ended up saving his life. "Providing EHAC education to the general public helps participants recognize and respond in the event of an emergency," said McCall. "Promoting awareness to the community can be a key factor in the prevention of heart attacks. Early intervention can truly make all the difference in a person's outcome."

By completing the steps to achieve ACC's Chest Pain Center Accreditation, facilities can access these life-saving education materials and share it with their communities, spurring more success stories like Paulsen's.

"As a HeartCARE Center facility, we demonstrate our commitment to world-class cardiovascular care through comprehensive process improvement, disease and procedure-specific accreditation, professional excellence, and community engagement," McCall added. "Working through the accreditation process with the ACC has helped our team deliver relevant patient education."

Click here to learn more about the EHAC program and order this infographic. Learn more about ACC Accreditation Services, including Chest Pain Center Accreditation, at CVQuality.ACC.org.

ICYMI: Latest Heart Talk With Cathie Delves Into Advocacy

ACC President Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC, and special guests MedAxiom President and CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, and long-time advocacy leaders Samuel O. Jones IV, MD, MPH, FACC, and Geoffrey A. Rose, MD, FACC, examined advocacy's role in reducing hurdles that threaten cardiovascular clinicians and ensuring policies that protect patients, as part of the latest "Heart Talk With Cathie" presidential discussion.

Hot Discussion Topics

• ACC's and MedAxiom's ongoing work towards long-term reforms
• Current practice structure
• The impact of the proposed 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
• The connection between payment/reimbursement and patient access to care
• How you can get involved in advocacy efforts

Visit ACC.org/ACCPresident to watch the episode on demand. Also, bookmark ACC.org/Advocacy for the latest advocacy news and updates and tips for getting involved.

Next U.S. Vice Chair For ACC Middle East Conference Announced

Gurusher S. Panjrath, MBBS, MD, FACC, was recently named as U.S. vice chair for the ACC's 2025 and 2026 Middle East conferences and U.S. chair for 2027 and 2028. The Washington, DC-based cardiologist is director of the Heart Failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program at George Washington University Hospital and director of its Heart and Vascular Institute.

Panjrath completed his residency at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he served as chief resident, and held clinical fellowships at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is an active member of the ACC, where he has served on multiple planning committees and work groups.

Registration is open for ACC Middle East 2024, in partnership with the Egyptian Society of Cardiology, taking place virtually Oct. 16-18. Click here for more information.