This Week in Cardiology

Listener feedback on SURPASS CVOT, AF ablation and the limits of meta-analyses, a Watchman alert from FDA, and oral anticoagulation choices in elderly patients are discussed by John Mandola, MD, in this week’s podcast. This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only. To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit: https://www.medscape.com/twic I SURPASS CVOT * This Week in Cardiology Podcast, August 1 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/1002781 * Mounjaro Appears More Heart Protective Than Trulicity in Trial Of Eli Lilly Diabetes Drugs https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/mounjaro-proves-more-heart-protective-than-trulicity-trial-2025a1000kct II Catheter and Surgical AF ablation * Catheter and Surgical Ablation for AF: Meta-Analysis https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00253 III Watchman Air Embolism Alerts * Looming Pay Cut to LAAO Triggers Objection From Card Groups https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/looming-pay-cut-laao-triggers-objection-card-groups-2025a1000l0j * FDA Alert https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls/early-alert-watchman-access-system-issue-boston-scientific IV Switching Oral Anticoagulants in Frail Older Adults Patients * FRAIL AF Trial https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.066485 * COMBINE AF Substudy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.05.060 * The Most Important Study From ESC: FRAIL-AF https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/996063 You may also like: The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington Questions or feedback, please contact news@medscape.net

Exercise and CV outcomes, aldosterone modulation, AI for ECG reading, GLP-1 comparisons, end-of-life decisions, and another well-meaning policy that caused harm in veterans are discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week’s podcast. This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only. To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit: https://www.medscape.com/twic I Exercise and CV outcomes II Aldosterone Modulation in Cardio-Kidney Disease * Aldosterone and Aldosterone Modulation https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.06.012 * Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199909023411001 III AI vs MD ECG-Reading for Cath Lab Activation * Accuracy of Cath Lab Activation Decisions https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2025.07.061 IV Tirzepatide vs Dulaglutide - SURPASS CVOT Study * Eli Lilly Press Release https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-mounjaro-tirzepatide-gipglp-1-dual-agonist-demonstrated * REWIND Study 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31149-3 External Link V End-of-Life Decisions Doctors’ Own End-of-Life Choices Defy Common Medical Practice https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/doctors-own-end-life-choices-defy-common-medical-practice-2025a1000k01 * Physicians’ Preferences for Their Own End of Life https://jme.bmj.com/content/early/2025/06/05/jme-2024-110192 * How US Doctors Die: A Cohort Study https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgs.14112 VI Well-Meaning Policies That Make Sense   * The Mission Act and Cardiovascular Procedures https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2837067 You may also like: The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington Questions or feedback, please contact news@medscape.net

The VENTOUX study of endurance athletes, the 10,000 step myth was not busted, rate vs rhythm control for AF, and GLP1 drugs and observational studies are the topics John Mandrola, MD, discusses in this week’s podcast. This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only. To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit: https://www.medscape.com/twic I Endurance Athletes and Arrhythmia (again) * VENTOUX trial https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.125.018470 II Daily Step Count and Health — no myths were busted. * Lancet Public Health: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1 III Rate vs Rhythm Control of AF Medscape: Everyone Deserves a Shot at the American Dream: Sinus Rhythm https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/everyone-deserves-shot-american-dream-sinus-rhythm-2025a1000jle * This Week in Cardiology, July 11, 2025 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/1002704 * AFFIRM trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa021328 * AFFIRM substudy https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/486560 IV GLP-1 Drugs and Observational Studies * Neurodegeneration and Stroke After Semaglutide and Tirzepatide https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2836412 * SUSTAIN-6 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1607141 * SELECT Trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563 You may also like: The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington Questions or feedback, please contact news@medscape.net

Finerenone, what not to consider when choosing treatment of AS, brain health after atrial fibrillation ablation, early rhythm control for AF, and Watchman reimbursement cuts are discussed by John Mandrola, MD, in this week's podcast. This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only. To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit: https://www.medscape.com/twic I Finerenone FDA Widens Indication of Finerenone for Heart Failure Patients https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/fda-widens-indication-finerenone-heart-failure-patients-2025a1000ive * FDA finerenone approval https://bayer2019tf.q4web.com/news/news-details/2025/U-S--FDA-Approves-KERENDIA-finerenone-to-Treat-Patients-With-Heart-Failure-With-Left-Ventricular-Ejection-Fraction-40-Following-Priority-Review/default.aspx * FINEARTS-HF trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2407107 II Choosing TAVI or Surgical AVR Carbon Emission when treating AS * EHJ study https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf379 III Brain Lesions and Visual Migraine After Left-Sided Ablations Post-Ablation Visual Auras a Sign of Transient Brain Injury?https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/post-ablation-visual-auras-sign-transient-brain-injury-2025a1000iro * TRAVERSE Trial https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.071352 * TRAVERSE Migraine Substudy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2025.06.035 IV Early Rhythm Control for AF * EHJ Rapid Communication https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf397 * EAST-AFNET 4 Trial https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2019422 V Watchman Cuts CMS Reduces LAAO Value in Proposed Fee Schedule https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2025/07/15/20/08/CMS-Reduces-LAAO-Value-in-Proposed-2026 You may also like: The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington Questions or feedback, please contact news@medscape.net

Approval of first-generation devices, the ticagrelor controversy, ICD longevity, the PRAGUE-25 trial (one of the most important trials of the year), and some thoughts on the end of EP as a profession are the topics John Mandrola, MD, discusses in this week’s podcast. This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only. To read a partial transcript or to comment, visit: https://www.medscape.com/twic I More Ticagrelor Controversy * BMJ Investigation Finds More Concerns in Ticagrelor Trials https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/investigation-bmj-raises-more-concerns-about-ticagrelor-2025a1000gh3 * Ticagrelor PLATO study https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r1201 * Ticagrelor vs Clopidogrel https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0904327 * Review of the Ticagrelor Trials Evidence Base https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.031606 * The Plato Trial: Do you believe in magic? https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehp545 * ONSET/OFFSET Antiplatelet Effects https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.109.912550 * RESPOND Study https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.109.919456 II ICD Battery Longevity * Variability in ICD Battery Longevity https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2025.05.031 PRAGUE-25 Trial of AF Ablation vs LFM * PRAGUE-25 Trial https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.04.042 You may also like: The Bob Harrington Show with the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, Robert A. Harrington, MD. https://www.medscape.com/author/bob-harrington Questions or feedback, please contact news@medscape.net