Fellow Dr. Walter Schiffer Receives Knowlton Incentive for Excellence Award

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital recognized six Department of Medicine internal medicine residents and fellows, including Third-Year Cardiovascular fellow Walter Schiffer, MD, with the 2023 Knowlton Incentive for Excellence Award.

Cresci and Bach Moderate at Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Society 2023 Scientific Sessions

Drs. Sharon Cresci and Richard Bach of the Washington University School of Medicine Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center acted as moderators at the 2023 Hypertrophy Cardiomyopathy Society (HCMS) Scientific Sessions in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Cresci moderated a panel discussion entitled “I’ve found the intermediate biomarker of HCM disease progression!”, and Dr. Bach moderated the lecture session “Defining […]

Two Cardiovascular Division Faculty Inducted to ACCA

Drs. Karen Joynt-Maddox and Thomas Maddox, both of the Washington University School of Medicine Cardiovascular Division, were recently inducted as members into the American Clinical and Climatological Association (ACCA).

Maddox Joins National Academy of Medicine’s Digital Health Committee (Links to an external site)

Thomas M. Maddox, MD, a professor of medicine in the Cardiology Division at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named to the National Academy of Medicine’s Digital Health Action Collaborative. The group fosters improvements and innovation in the ways health data and digital technologies are developed and applied to maximize population-level and patient health.

Dr. Gregory Ewald Elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Class of 2023

The Alpha Omega Alpha Executive and Selection committees announce the new faculty, alumni and house officers to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Class of 2023, including Professor Gregory Ewald, MD of the Washington University Cardiovascular Division. AΩA is the honor medical society recognizing, advocating for, and inspiring physicians in the care of patients […]

Dr. Adam May Co-Authors New Review in JACC on Critical Care of Electrical Storm

Washington University cardiovascular division faculty member Dr. Adam May contributed to “Multidisciplinary Critical Care Management of Electrical Storm: JACC State-of-the-Art Review“, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology this month. The review focuses on the cardiac condition known as electrical storm, defined by “electrical instability with 3 or more ventricular arrhythmia episodes within 24 […]

Welcoming Dr. S. Zyad Qamer

Zyad Qamer, MD, has joined the Division as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Qamer received his undergraduate degree (BA) at New York University in economics, medical degree (MD) from Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Qamer completed an internal medicine residency at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital where he also completed a fellowship in cardiovascular […]

Dr. Mark Huffman on Healthier Blood Pressure (Links to an external site)

Huffman

Stunning as it may sound, nearly half of Americans ages 20 years and up – or more than 122 million people – have high blood pressure, according to a 2023 report from the American Heart Association. And even if your numbers are normal right now, they are likely to increase as you age; more than […]

Redefining Advanced Heart Failure (Links to an external site)

Today, patients with congestive heart failure have more treatment options than ever before, and traditional advanced therapies have greatly improved over the last decade. Nationally ranked in Cardiology and Heart Surgery by U.S. News & World Report, our advanced heart failure cardiologists at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart and Vascular Center work with patients’ current cardiologists and primary care physicians to provide them with the best possible outcomes.

A HISTORY OF HEART FAILURE—AND RECOVERY (Links to an external site)

Just a few hundred years ago, the heart and its function were a bit of a mystery. And when the heart malfunctioned, treatment options were few and often ineffective. Today’s cardiologists offer their patients treatments that can lead to recovery.

To date, an Egyptian man named Nebiri, also known as Chief of Stables, is the oldest-known case of heart failure. Thanks to a German pathologist’s examination of 3,500-year-old mummified remains, it’s believed Nebiri died of pulmonary edema caused by heart failure.

Just a few hundred years ago, the heart and its function were a bit of a mystery. And when the heart malfunctioned, treatment options were few and often ineffective. Today’s cardiologists offer their patients treatments that can lead to recovery.

To date, an Egyptian man named Nebiri, also known as Chief of Stables, is the oldest-known case of heart failure. Thanks to a German pathologist’s examination of 3,500-year-old mummified remains, it’s believed Nebiri died of pulmonary edema caused by heart failure.

4th Annual Heart Team Summit Comes to St. Louis

Join faculty members in the Divisions of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine as they unite with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ascension St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana for the 4th Annual Heart Team Summit.

This event will begin on Friday, October 21, and conclude on Saturday, October 22, at the Four Seasons Hotel (999 N 2nd St) in St. Louis.

Institute for Public Health to Hold Special Seminar: Algorithms of Oppression

Cardiovascular division faculty members Karen Joynt Maddox (co-Director, Center for Health Economics & Policy) and Gmerice Hammond (Associate Director, Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity) along with their colleagues at the Institute of Public Health will be hosting a seminar October 19th entitield Algorithms of Oppression, presented by Dr. Safiya U. Noble. 

Faculty receive $6.1M NIH grant for maternal health study (Links to an external site)

Three faculty from the Brown School and the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis have received a seven-year $6.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at improving the health of mothers and children in the St. Louis region. The project, titled “Enhancing Cardiovascular Health Equity in Mothers and […]

Low testosterone may increase risk of COVID-19 hospitalization for men (Links to an external site)

Among men diagnosed with COVID-19, those with low testosterone levels are more likely to become seriously ill and end up in the hospital than men with normal levels of the hormone, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

The team analyzed the cases of 723 men who tested positive for COVID-19, mostly in 2020 before vaccines were available. The data indicate that low testosterone is an independent risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization, similar to diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung disease.

Dr. Stacey Rentschler and Colleagues Receive NIH Grant to Fund Study on Radiation Therapy for VT Patients

Stacey Rentschler, MD, PhD in collaboration with many other Washington University researchers within and outside the cardiovascular division recently received an NIH grant totaling over $3 million to further study a major breakthrough in a non-invasive treatment for ventricular tachycardia. The grant follows a 2021clinical study from Washington University School of Medicine brought together cardiologists, […]

New Clinical Trial for Evoque Valve Comes to Valvular Heart Disease Center

Dr. Alan Zajarias and the team at the Valvular Heart Disease Center have been invited to join the Edwards Triscend 2 pivotal trial, testing the safety and effectiveness of the Evoque valve device in patients with tricuspid regurgitation. The Evoque tricuspid valve replacement system is designed to use an implant to replace the native tricuspid […]

New Drug, Positive Results for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (Links to an external site)

An estimated 1,000,000 people in the U.S. have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Washington University interventional cardiologist Richard Bach, MD, FACC, and his team had exhausted non-invasive treatments for a patient suffering from HCM. Until, that is, Bach enrolled the man, who was in his 50s, in a clinical trial evaluating a drug called mavacamten.

Cardiovascular inflammation, heart failure focus of $6 million grant (Links to an external site)

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to harness new understandings of the immune system to develop innovative therapies for heart failure and the prevention of organ rejection following heart transplantation.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome in mice treated with novel class of compounds (Links to an external site)

A study in mice — led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis — shows that a new class of compounds the scientists developed can improve multiple aspects of metabolic syndrome. An increasingly common group of conditions that often occur together, metabolic syndrome includes type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, fat buildup in the liver, and excess body fat, especially around the waist. This syndrome often leads to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

Popular heart failure drug no better than older drug in sickest patients (Links to an external site)

A new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that a widely used heart failure drug named sacubitril/valsartan is no better than valsartan alone in patients with severe heart failure. The study also provides evidence that the treatment with valsartan may be slightly safer for patients with advanced heart failure.

Institute for Public Health names new director of the Global Health Center (Links to an external site)

The Institute for Public Health announces the appointment of Victor G. Dávila-Román, MD, as director of its Global Health Center. He was also named vice chair of global health in the Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine. Dávila-Román is professor of medicine in the cardiovascular division of the Department of Medicine, and a professor of anesthesiology and radiology at the School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico, and has been affiliated with Washington University since 1986.

Prabhu named cardiovascular division director (Links to an external site)

Sumanth D. Prabhu, MD, an internationally recognized expert in how immunity and inflammation contribute to heart failure, has been named director of the Cardiovascular Division in the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He also will become cardiologist-in-chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the Tobias and Hortense Lewin Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases at the School of Medicine when his appointment begins Sept. 1.

Hammond receives Merck research fellowship (Links to an external site)

J. Gmerice Hammond, MD, a cardiologist and health policy research fellow in the Cardiovascular Division at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received a Merck Fellowship Research Award from the Association of Black Cardiologists and the American College of Cardiology.

Scientists find genetic link to clogged arteries (Links to an external site)

High cholesterol is the most commonly understood cause of atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries that raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. But now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a gene that likely plays a causal role in coronary artery disease independent of cholesterol levels. The gene also likely has roles in related cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

COVID-19 can kill heart muscle cells, interfere with contraction (Links to an external site)

Since early in the pandemic, COVID-19 has been associated with heart problems, including reduced ability to pump blood and abnormal heart rhythms. But it’s been an open question whether these problems are caused by the virus infecting the heart, or an inflammatory response to viral infection elsewhere in the body. Such details have implications for understanding how best to treat coronavirus infections that affect the heart.

Leadership Announcement – DOM Vice Chair for Health Equity (Links to an external site)

It is my pleasure to announce that Angela L. Brown, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine has been appointed as Vice Chair for Health Equity for the Department of Medicine. In this new role, Dr. Brown will lead our diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism activities.

Maddox selected as American College of Cardiology trustee (Links to an external site)

Thomas M. Maddox, MD, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been selected to serve as a trustee of the American College of Cardiology, an international professional society for cardiovascular care providers. He will serve a three-year term on the board of trustees beginning in April.

High-protein diets boost artery-clogging plaque, mouse study shows (Links to an external site)

High-protein diets may help people lose weight and build muscle, but a new study in mice suggests they have a down side: They lead to more plaque in the arteries. Further, the new research shows that high-protein diets spur unstable plaque — the kind most prone to rupturing and causing blocked arteries. More plaque buildup in the arteries, particularly if it’s unstable, increases the risk of heart attack.

New clues found to help protect heart from damage after heart attack

Studying mice, scientists have shown that boosting the activity of specific immune cells in the heart after a heart attack can protect against developing heart failure, an invariably fatal condition. Patients with heart failure tire easily and become breathless from everyday activities because the heart muscle has lost the ability to pump enough blood to […]

Safety-Net Hospitals Fare Better Under New Medicare Reimbursement Rules

New Medicare reimbursement rules provide some relief to safety-net hospitals, shifting the burden of financial penalties toward hospitals serving wealthier patient populations, according to a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The new rules also reduce the burden of such penalties on hospitals in states that have more generous […]

Obese Mouse Mothers Trigger Heart Problems in Offspring

A diet high in fats and sugars is known for its unhealthy effects on the heart. Scientists now have found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet in mouse mothers before and during pregnancy causes problems in the hearts of their offspring, and that such problems are passed down at least three generations, even if the younger […]

Is Intermittent Fasting the Cure for Diabetes?

(CNN) Three men with Type 2 diabetes used “intermittent fasting” to reverse their dependence on insulin, according to a report published on [October 9th, 2018] — but you shouldn’t try it without medical supervision, experts say. The new case report says the three patients also lost weight, and their HbA1Cs, a measure of blood sugar […]

Lowering hospitals’ Medicare costs proves difficult

A payment system that provides financial incentives for hospitals that reduce health-care costs for Medicare patients did not lower costs as intended, according to a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers assessed what is called a bundled-payment system, in which hospitals are assigned a target cost for […]

Scientists ID source of damaging inflammation after heart attack

Scientists have zeroed in on a culprit that spurs damaging inflammation in the heart following a heart attack. The guilty party is a type of immune cell that tries to heal the injured heart but instead triggers inflammation that leads to even more damage. Further, the researchers have found that an already approved drug effectively […]

Study of smoking and genetics illuminates complexities of blood pressure

Analyzing the genetics and smoking habits of more than half a million people has shed new light on the complexities of controlling blood pressure, according to a study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The research, published Feb. 15 in The American Journal of Human Genetics, stems from an […]

Deadly heart rhythm halted by noninvasive radiation therapy

Radiation therapy often is used to treat cancer patients. Now, doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that radiation therapy — aimed directly at the heart — can be used to treat patients with a life-threatening heart rhythm. They treated five patients who had irregular heart rhythms, called ventricular tachycardia, […]

Aggressive testing provides no benefit to patients in ER with chest pain

Patients who go to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain often receive unnecessary tests to evaluate whether they are having a heart attack, a practice that provides no clinical benefit and adds hundreds of dollars in health-care costs, according to a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. […]

Drug trial shows promise for deadly neurological disorder

Results of a small clinical trial show promise for treating a rare neurodegenerative condition that typically kills those afflicted before they reach age 20. The disease, called Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), causes cholesterol to build up in neurons, leading to a gradual loss of brain function. In the drug trial, researchers have shown that treatment […]

Type of sugar may treat atherosclerosis, mouse study shows

Researchers have long sought ways to harness the body’s immune system to treat disease, especially cancer. Now, scientists have found that the immune system may be triggered to treat atherosclerosis and possibly other metabolic conditions, including fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis […]

BJC, School of Medicine establish Health Systems Innovation Lab

Improving patients’ health while reducing costs has become a mantra in health care, but this requires new ways of thinking about patients’ medical needs and delivering care more efficiently. At the same time, the pace of scientific discovery continues to accelerate, particularly in understanding how genes, behaviors and environments affect one’s health. These developments are […]