Episode 16: Update from the American Heart Association 2024 Science Meeting from 2024

The first trial examines the effects of tirzepatide on patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity. The study found that tirzepatide significantly reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular causes or worsening heart failure compared to placebo, improving health status and exercise tolerance. The second trial evaluates the use of colchicine in patients who have experienced an acute myocardial infarction, finding no significant reduction in the composite outcome of death from cardiovascular causes, recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, or unplanned ischemia-driven coronary revascularization despite a longer treatment duration. The third trial reports on the use of spironolactone in patients who have experienced an acute myocardial infarction, with the results demonstrating no significant decrease in the risk of death from cardiovascular causes or new or worsening heart failure or the composite outcome of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, or new or worsening heart failure. The fourth trials investigates the efficacy and safety of nex-z, a CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing therapy, for patients with transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy. The study showed that a single dose of nex-z led to rapid and durable reductions in serum transthyretin levels with a favorable safety profile. The final trial explores the use of left atrial appendage closure as an alternative to oral anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation who have undergone catheter ablation. The results suggest that left atrial appendage closure leads to a lower risk of non–procedure-related major or clinically relevant non major bleeding while being noninferior to oral anticoagulation in terms of death from any cause, stroke, or systemic embolism.