Cardionerds: A Cardiology Podcast CardioNerds

Immunotherapy is a type of novel cancer therapy that leverages the body’s own immune system to target cancer cells. In this episode, we focused on the most common type of immunotherapy: immune checkpoint inhibitors or ICIs. ICIs are monoclonal antibodies targeting immune “checkpoints” or brakes to enhance T-cell recognition against tumors. ICI has become a pillar in cancer care, with over 100 approvals and 5,000 ongoing trials. ICIs can lead to non-specific activation of the immune system, causing off-target adverse events such as cardiotoxicities. ICI-related myocarditis, though less common, can be fatal in 30% of cases. Clinical manifestations vary but can include chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations, heart failure symptoms, and arrhythmias. Diagnosis involves echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and endomyocardial biopsy. Treatment includes high-dose corticosteroids with potential additional immunosuppressants. Baseline EKG and troponin are recommended before ICI initiation, but routine surveillance is not advised. Subclinical myocarditis is a challenge, with unclear management implications. So let’s dive in and learn about cardiotoxicity of novel immunotherapies with Drs. Giselle Suero (series co-chair), Evelyn Song (episode FIT lead), Daniel Ambinder (CardioNerds co-founder), and Tomas Neilan (faculty expert). Audio editing by CardioNerds Academy Intern, Dr. Maryam Barkhordarian.







This episode is supported by a grant from Pfizer Inc.







This CardioNerds Cardio-Oncology series is a multi-institutional collaboration made possible by contributions of stellar fellow leads and expert faculty from several programs, led by series co-chairs, Dr. Giselle Suero Abreu, Dr. Dinu Balanescu, and Dr. Teodora Donisan. 























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Pearls and Quotes - Cardiotoxicity of Novel Immunotherapies









* Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) play a crucial role in current oncology treatment by enhancing T-cell recognition against tumors.







* ICI-related cardiac immune-related adverse events (iRAEs) include myocarditis, heart failure,

CardioNerds join Dr. Inbar Raber and Dr. Susan Mcilvaine from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for a Fenway game. They discuss the following case: A 72-year-old man presents with two weeks of progressive dyspnea, orthopnea, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and right upper quadrant pain. He has a history of essential thrombocytosis, Barrett’s esophagus, basal cell skin cancer, and hypertension treated with hydralazine. He is found to have bilateral pleural effusions and a pericardial effusion. He undergoes a work-up, including pericardial cytology, which is negative, and blood tests reveal a positive ANA and positive anti-histone antibody. He is diagnosed with drug-induced lupus due to hydralazine and starts treatment with intravenous steroids, resulting in an improvement in his symptoms. Expert commentary is provided by UT Southwestern internal medicine residency program director Dr. Salahuddin (“Dino”) Kazi.















US Cardiology Review is now the official journal of CardioNerds! Submit your manuscript here.



















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Case Media



























Pearls - A Drug's Adverse Effect Unleashes the Wolf









* The differential diagnosis for pericardial effusion includes metabolic, malignant, medication-induced, traumatic, rheumatologic, and infectious etiologies.







* While pericardial cytology can aid in securing a diagnosis of cancer in patients with malignant pericardial effusions, the sensitivity of the test is limited at around 50%. 







* Common symptoms of drug-induced lupus include fever, arthralgias, myalgias, rash, and/or serositis.







* Anti-histone antibodies are typically present in drug-induced lupus, while anti-dsDNA antibodies are typically absent (unlike in systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE).







* Hydralazine-induced lupus has a prevalence of 5-10%, with a higher risk for patients on higher doses or longer durations of drug exposure. Onset is usually months to years after drug initiation.









Show Notes - A Drug's Adverse Effect Unleashes the Wolf









* There is a broad differential diagnosis for pericardial effusion which includes metabolic, malignant, medication-induced, traumatic, rheumatologic, and infectious etiologies.

Welcome back to the CardioNerds Cardiovascular Prevention Series, where we are continuing our discussion of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs). This class of medications is becoming a household name, not only for their implications for weight loss but also for their effect on cardiovascular disease. CardioNerds Dr. Ty Sweeney (CardioNerds Academy Faculty Member and incoming Cardiology Fellow at Boston Medical Center), Dr. Rick Ferraro (CardioNerds Academy House Faculty and Cardiology Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital), and special guest Dr. Franck Azobou (Cardiology Fellow at UT Southwestern) sat down with Dr. Darren McGuire (Cardiologist at UT Southwestern and Senior Editor of Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research) to discuss important trial data on GLP-1 RAs in patients with heart disease, as well as recent professional society guidelines on their use. Show notes were drafted by Dr. Ty Sweeney. Audio editing was performed by CardioNerds Intern student Dr. Diane Masket.







If you haven’t already, be sure to check out CardioNerds episode #350 where we discuss the basics and mechanism of action of GLP-1 RAs with Dr. Dennis Bruemmer.















This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) with independent medical education grant support from Novo Nordisk. See below for continuing medical education credit.







Claim CME for this episode HERE.























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Pearls and Quotes - GLP-1 Agonists: Diving into the Data









* Patients with diabetes and clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or who are at high risk of ASCVD benefit from treatment with a GLP-1 RA.







* For persons with sufficient ASCVD risk and type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors can, and often should, be used in combination. "Just like we don’t consider ‘and/or’ for the four pillars of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, we shouldn’t parcel out these two therapeutic options...it should be both.”







* Setting expectations with your patients regarding injection practices, side effects, and expected benefits can go a long way toward improving the ...

The following question refers to Section 13 of the 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure.The question is asked by Western Michigan University medical student and CardioNerds Intern Shivani Reddy, answered first by Mayo Clinic Cardiology Fellow and CardioNerds Academy Faculty Dr. Dinu Balanescu, and then by expert faculty Dr. Harriette Van Spall.Dr. Van Spall is an Associate Professor of Medicine, cardiologist, and Director of E-Health at McMaster University. Dr Van Spall is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded clinical trialist and researcher with a focus on heart failure, health services, and health disparities.The Decipher the Guidelines: 2022 AHA / ACC / HFSA Guideline for The Management of Heart Failure series was developed by the CardioNerds and created in collaboration with the American Heart Association and the Heart Failure Society of America. It was created by 30 trainees spanning college through advanced fellowship under the leadership of CardioNerds Cofounders Dr. Amit Goyal and Dr. Dan Ambinder, with mentorship from Dr. Anu Lala, Dr. Robert Mentz, and Dr. Nancy Sweitzer. We thank Dr. Judy Bezanson and Dr. Elliott Antman for tremendous guidance.Enjoy this Circulation 2022 Paths to Discovery article to learn about the CardioNerds story, mission, and values.





Question #32









Palliative and supportive care has a role for patients with heart failure only in the end stages of their disease.









TRUE









FALSE













Answer #32









Explanation





The correct answer is False

Palliative care is patient- and family-centered care that optimizes health-related quality of life by anticipating, preventing,

CardioNerds cofounder Dr. Dan Ambinder joins Dr. Angie Molina, Dr. Cullen Soares, and Dr. Andrew Lutz from the University of Maryland Medical Center for some beers and history by Fort McHenry. They discuss a case of disseminated haemophilus influenzapresumed fulminant bacterial myocarditis with mixed septic/cardiogenic shock. Expert commentary is provided by Dr. Stanley Liu (Assistant Professor, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine). Episode audio was edited by Dr. Chelsea Amo-Tweneboah.







A woman in her twenties with a history of intravenous drug use presented with acute onset fevers and sore throat, subsequently developed respiratory distress and cardiac arrest, and was noted to have epiglottic edema on intubation. She developed shock and multiorgan failure. ECG showed diffuse ST elevations, TTE revealed biventricular dysfunction, and pleural fluid culture grew Haemophilus influenza. Right heart catheterization showed evidence of cardiogenic shock. She improved with supportive care and antibiotics.















US Cardiology Review is now the official journal of CardioNerds! Submit your manuscript here.



















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Pearls - Sore Throat, Fever, and Myocarditis - It’s not always COVID-19









* The post-cardiac arrest ECG provides helpful information for diagnosing the underlying etiology.​







* Be aware of diagnostic biases - availability and anchoring biases are particularly common during respiratory viral (such as COVID-19, RSV) surges.







* Consider a broad differential diagnosis in evaluating myocarditis, including non-viral etiologies.







* Right heart catheterization provides crucial information for diagnosis and management of undifferentiated shock​.







* When assessing the need for mechanical circulatory support, consider the current hemodynamics, type of support needed,

CardioNerds Dr. Rick Ferraro (CardioNerds Academy House Faculty and Cardiology Fellow at JHH), Dr. Gurleen Kaur (Director of the CardioNerds Internship and Internal Medicine resident at BWH), and Dr. Alli Bigeh (Cardiology Fellow at the Ohio State) as they discuss the growing obesity epidemic and how it relates to cardiovascular disease with Dr. Ambarish Pandey (Cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center). Show notes were drafted by Dr. Alli Bigeh. CardioNerds Academy Intern and student Dr. Shivani Reddy performed audio editing.







Obesity is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is on the rise! Here, we discuss how to identify patients with obesity and develop an approach to address current lifestyle recommendations. We also discuss the spectrum of pharmacologic treatment options available, management strategies, and some therapy options that are on the horizon.







This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) with independent medical education grant support from Novo Nordisk. See below for continuing medical education credit.







Claim CME for this episode HERE.























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Pearls and Quotes - Lifestyle & Pharmacologic Management of Obesity









* Identify obese patients not just using BMI, but also using anthropometric measurements such as waist circumference (central adiposity).







* Lifestyle modifications are our first line of defense against obesity! Current recommendations emphasize caloric restriction of at least 500kcal/day, plant-based and Mediterranean diets, and getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity weekly exercise.







* Dive into the root cause of eating and lifestyle behaviors. It is crucial to address adverse social determinants of health with patients to identify the driving behaviors, particularly among those individuals of low socioeconomic status.







* Newer weight loss agents are most effective at achieving and maintaining substantial weight loss, in particular Semaglutide (GLP-1) and Tirzepatide (GLP-1/GIP).