Emory cardiologist Arshed Quyyumi, MD and Stephen E. Epstien, MD of MedStar Heart Institute are the senior authors of this research. During the research they studied over 3400 cardiology patients who had confirmed coronary artery disease or suspected disease. Each patient was followed for over 2 years.

Read the full news article and more about the new findings that were published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology.

About Arshed Quyyumi, MD

Dr. Quyyumi is a Professor, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Co-Director, Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute (ECCRI)

Dr. Arshed A. Quyyumi has been involved in clinical translational research in cardiovascular diseases for over 25 years. Dr. Quyyumi received his undergraduate degree in Pharmacology and medical degree from the University of London, England. He completed his residency at Guy’s and Royal Free Hospitals in London, and cardiology fellowships at National Heart Hospital, London; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; and the National Institutes of Health. After completion of his residency and fellowship, he served in several capacities in the Cardiology Branch of National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, NIH in Bethesda, MD, including Senior Investigator and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. In 2001 he was appointed Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine, and in 2010 he was named Co-Director of the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute (ECCRI). Since 2005, Dr. Quyyumi has been awarded more than $9 million in research funding. He serves on the Editorial Boards of several national journals, is a member on several Scientific Advisory Boards, and is a reviewer for the NIH-NHLBI Study Sections. Dr. Quyyumi has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed publications and has been an invited speaker and session chair at numerous National and International scientific meetings and conferences.

Dr. Quyyumi’s research focus includes vascular biology, angiogenesis, progenitor cell biology, mechanisms of myocardial ischemia, and the role of genetic and environmental risks on vascular disease. Other interests have spanned the fields of personalized medicine and disparities in cardiovascular diseases. During his academic career, Dr. Quyyumi has carried out more than 50 NIH, industry-funded, or investigator-initiated projects, including numerous clinical trials.

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• Emory Heart & Vascular Center

Dr. David Markham, MD, MSc

Emory Center for Heart Failure and Transplantation and Saint Joseph’s Hospital are pleased to welcome David Markham, MD, MSc, to the team as the medical director of the Heart Failure Clinic at Saint Joseph’s Hospital.

Markham is an experienced heart failure and transplant cardiologist and has performed groundbreaking work in the area of assist device physiology.

“I’m excited that Dr. Markham will be leading heart failure services and our partnership with Saint Joseph’s,” says Andrew Smith, MD, director of the Center for Heart Failure and Transplantation and chief of cardiology at Emory University Hospital. “He will continue the progress we’ve already made over the past few months with the Advanced Heart Failure Network and the consolidation of services for network patients at Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown and Saint Joseph’s Hospital. These steps benefit our patients and enhance the services we offer.”

Markham received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Emory in 1991 and 1995, respectively and is a native of Marietta, GA. He completed an internship and residency at the University of Virginia, a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical and molecular cardiology at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and a fellowship in cardiology with advanced training in heart failure and cardiac transplantation at Duke University Medical Center.

Before his return to Emory, Markham was medical director of the Heart Failure Clinic at Parkland Memorial Hospital and associate director of heart failure, assist devices and cardiac transplantation at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

About the Emory and Saint Joseph’s Center for Advanced Heart Failure

The Advanced Heart Failure Network is an enhanced cardiac collaboration that includes expert care from subspecialists at Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown and Saint Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta. For over 20 years Emory Healthcare and Saint Joseph’s Hospital have had the largest advanced heart failure programs in Georgia. The new collaboration will focus on meeting the needs of patients and their families dealing with heart failure. Patients in need of advanced heart failure management, medical and surgical management of other heart conditions and related therapies, may now access treatment at any of the three facilities.

Related Resources

• Emory and Saint Joseph’s Heart Failure Website
• Understanding Heart Failure Blog
• True Coordination of Care: Our New Advanced Heart Failure Program Blog
• Heart Failure Patient Success Story Video
• Ventricular Assist Devices: Hope for the Broken-Hearted Blog

Dr. Farheen Shirazi

Dr. Farheen Shirazi, Emory Heart & Vascular Center cardiologist, recently conducted a live web chat on the topic of women and heart disease. During the chat, Dr. Shirazi provided participants with information ranging from how women can prevent heart disease to the importance of getting treatment right away, and details on the latest research underway to combat heart disease in women.

One of our attendees in Tuesday’s chat asked Dr. Shirazi, “What is the best diet for patients with heart disease?” Dr. Shirazi noted that the most effective diet will depend on each person’s specific risk factors for heart disease, but in general, the most recent evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet is heart healthy. Dr. Shirazi explained that the Mediterranean Diet is rich in lean protein (poultry), good fats (olive oil) and omega-3s (fatty fish), and low in saturated fats and bad carbohydrates. And like any healthy diet, the Mediterranean Diet is low in sodium and loaded with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Another great question fielded by Dr. Shirazi in Tuesday’s live chat was related to symptoms and warning signs of heart disease, “I have read that symptoms of coronary heart disease are different in woman than in men, but when symptoms present, at what point should you seek medical attention? I sometimes feel chest discomfort, even sharp pains, but how will I know if it’s more serious than say stress for example?” Dr. Shirazi says patients should trust their instincts if something doesn’t “feel right,” in which case, Dr. Shirazi recommends seeing a medical professional. “A provider will be able to evaluate your symptoms and do appropriate screening. If you’re having any symptoms such as: chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, excessive fatigue, dizziness, loss of consciousness, or abdominal pain (to list a few), you should see your primary care physician. Your cardiologist will then be able to further assess your risk for heart disease,” she says.

In addition to the questions above, Dr. Shirazi answered questions related to cholesterol levels, hormone replacement therapy, and several other topics specific to heart disease in women. Most importantly, though, she reminded participants to take action immediately if they are at risk for, or experiencing symptoms of, heart disease.

For more information, check out the Women and Heart Disease chat transcript.

Related Resources:

• Women & Heart Disease Chat Transcript
• Mediterranean Diet Recipe: Heart Healthy Salmon
• Video: Women & Heart Disease
• Emory’s Women Heart Program
• Emory Heart & Vascular at Johns Creek
• Emory Johns Creek Cardiology

The European Commission has awarded a grant of almost $16 million (EUR 12 million) to the Heart Omics in Ageing (HOMAGE) project, with a goal of better identifying more specific biomarkers for heart failure and then developing methods for earlier detection of risk in the elderly population.

A biomarker, or biological marker, is a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. It serves as a guide for health and physiology related assessments.

The prevalence of heart failure is increasing worldwide because of the aging population and a rising trend of risk factors for heart disease — such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Heart failure is a major cause of death and disability in the world and remains the most frequent cause of hospitalization for patients over 65 years old. An essential step in preventing heart failure is to first accurately identify individuals at high-risk.

Traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure still remain important clinical guides but we are now seeing more cases of heart failure develop in individuals who do not have any specific high risk diseases. Therefore, this research will try to determine more accurate methods of detecting heart failure risk using biomarkers leveraging the latest technology.

This project will evaluate data from 30,000 patients from 10 countries. Emory investigators will work with the National Institutes of Aging-funded Health Aging and Body Composition Study, to assess the value of this approach among 3,000 elderly individuals in the U.S.

HOMAGE will also lead a clinical trial to look for novel treatments of heart failure that can be targeted specifically to those patients at risk.

This research has the potential to benefit thousands of individuals in the U.S. and researchers at Emory are very excited to work with colleagues across Europe in this trans-Atlantic collaboration.

About Dr. Javed Butler
Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
Director of Heart Failure Research at Emory

After completing medical school from Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, Dr. Butler did his residency and chief residency at Yale University, Masters in Public Health from Harvard University, and cardiology fellowship including transplant training at Vanderbilt University. Before moving to Emory University, he was the director for the Heart and Heart-Lung Transplant programs at Vanderbilt University. He also has done special cardiac imaging training at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of Cardiac Failure, American Heart Journal and Congestive Heart Failure. He served on the American College of Cardiology Committee on Heart Failure and Transplantation. He is board certified in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, and Nuclear Cardiology. Currently he serves as the Deputy Chief Science Advisor for the American Heart Association. While also heavily involved in research and clinical care at Emory. Dr. Butler’s research focuses primarily on the disease progression, outcomes, and prognosis determination in patients with heart failure, with special emphasis on patients undergoing cardiac transplantation and left ventricular assist device placement. He has published many original research articles in multiple peer reviewed journals. He serves on the national board, events committee, and steering committees of several multicenter clinical trials. Dr. Butler is involved in the evaluation and management of all aspects of patients with heart failure including cardiac transplantation and left ventricular assist devices. He is also involved in the cardiac CT program at Emory University.

Related Resources

• Website – Emory Center for Heart Failure Therapy
• What is Heart Failure? Video
• CNN Heart Transplant Video
• Fox 5 News Report – Emory Heart Transplant Patients Celebrate the Gift of Life

Walkers during the 2010 Atlanta Heart Walk.

Research by the American Heart Association proves the benefits of walking (or moderate physical activity) for at least 30 minutes a day can help:

• Improve mental well being
•  Lower blood pressure
• Improve blood sugar levels
• Maintain or improve body weight
• Lower risks of colon and breast cancer
• Lower cholesterol
• Reduce risk of coronary heart disease

If you have a hard time exercising by yourself find a walking buddy! Not only will you help your heart you will enjoy time with your friend and perhaps explore areas of your neighborhood you have never seen before. Make an adventure out of it!

Emory Healthcare is a proud supporter of the American Heart Association’s My Heart. My Life. program that is working to help individuals and families understand how to get active and eat healthy.

Related Resources:

• Lose Weight in 2013 with the 250/250 Plan!
• Eat Heart Healthy! Mediterranean Salmon recipe via Dr. Cutchins!
• Heart Disease Prevention & Cardiac Rehab Program

About Alexis Cutchins, MD

Alexis Cutchins, MD is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Cutchins completed medical school at Emory University School of Medicine before going to New York Presbyterian Hospital for her Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine. She completed an NIH-supported research fellowship in vascular biology and a clinical fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at the University of Virginia in 2012. She has a special interest in heart disease in women in addition to heart disease prevention and risk reduction in cardiology patients.

Dr. Cutchins sees patients at Emory Heart & Vascular Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown and Emory Heart & Vascular Center at Perimeter.

You can register for our HeartWise events online!

♥ How to Live to 100!
Shanna Stewart, Exercise & Health Science Intern
Monday, April 1, 8:30am – 9:00am, Repeated at 12:00 – 12:30pm

♥ Take Care of those FEET!
Dr. Frank Sinkoe
Friday, April 5, 11:45am – 12:15pm

♥ WomenHeart of Atlanta: Support Group
Monday, April 8, 12pm – 1:15pm

♥ Reading Food Labels
Tasha Mickens, RD, LD, CDE
Monday, April 15, 12pm – 12:30pm

♥ Why Sleep is so Important
Jennifer James, Exercise Physiologist
Monday, April 22, 12:00pm – 12:30pm

♥ Basic Diabetes Nutrition
Tasha Mickens, RD, LD, CDE
Monday, May 6, 12:00pm – 12:30pm

♥ WomenHeart of Atlanta: Support Group
Monday, May 13, 12pm – 1:15pm

♥ Advanced Carbohydrate Counting
Tasha Mickens, RD, LD, CDE
Monday, May 20, 12:00pm – 12:30pm

Admission is free and everyone is welcome and parking is validated for up to 2 hours. Call 404-778-2850 to reserve your seat, or you can sign up for a HeartWise lecture online.

*If you would like to purchase a t-shirt or calendar where the proceeds go to the HeartWise scholarship fund which allows patients who run into financial challenges continue the wellness and prevention, please call 404-778-2850.

Related Resources:

• Heart Disease Prevention videos
• Heart Disease Prevention & Cardiac Rehab Program
• Video: Women & Heart Disease

Nanette K. Wenger, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine, was recently honored by the American College of Cardiology with its inaugural 2013 Distinguished Mentor Award in recognition of her dedication to mentorship and tremendous role in shaping the careers of current and future leaders in cardiology.

“Throughout my career, mentoring women and men in cardiology, including students, residents, cardiology trainees, faculty, and community physicians, has been equally a passion and a reward,” says Wenger. “The science and practice of cardiology will be advanced by its emerging leaders, and it has been my privilege to contribute to their progress.”

Dr. Wenger is internationally recognized as a leading authority on coronary heart disease in women and has accumulated dozens of prestigious awards throughout her career. Her greatest legacy is changing the face of cardiology. In 1993, Wenger coauthored a landmark article in the New England Journal of Medicine that aggressively addressed the prejudice that heart disease was a man’s disease. Research led by Wenger resulted in significant changes to the way drugs and hormones

Dr. Wenger came to Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital in 1958 and since then she has been a trailblazer and icon in the field of cardiology as author and co-author of more than 1,400 scientific and review articles and book chapters.  Wenger helped write the 2011 Guidelines for Preventing Cardiovascular Disease in Women. In 2009, her fiftieth year at Emory, Wenger’s extraordinary career achievements were celebrated with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology.

Vinod Thourani, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and cardiothoracic surgeon at the Emory Heart & Vascular Center has been awarded the W. Proctor Harvey, MD, Young Teacher Award at the 2013 American College of Cardiology’s (ACC). He was one of two recipients to receive the prestigious award this year, which is awarded every two years.  The award recognizes and honors a promising young member of the American College of Cardiology who has distinguished him or herself by dedication and skill in teaching, and to stimulate, as far as possible, continued careers in education. Thourani was selected from among a highly competitive group of academic cardiologists to receive the award.

“I am honored to be given this teaching award from the ACC,”" says Thourani, who is an associate professor of surgery, in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. “”Teaching the next generation of physicians, and mentoring them to be the best they can be, is critical in academic medicine, and to the health care system as a whole. I thoroughly enjoy the teaching component of my profession.”

About Dr. Wenger

Dr. Wenger is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine and a Consultant to the Emory Heart and Vascular Center. Dr. Wenger is a graduate of Hunter College (summa cum laude) and the Harvard Medical School. She had her residency training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology fellowship at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and additional Fellowship in Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Wenger is a Past Vice-President of the American Heart Association, past Governor for Georgia of the American College of Cardiology, is a Past-President of the Georgia Heart Association. She has served as a member and frequently chairperson of over 500 committees, scientific advisory boards, task forces, and councils of the American Medical Association, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the Society of Geriatric Cardiology. Dr. Wenger is also active in a variety of state and local charitable, cultural, and religious organizations. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Geriatric Cardiology, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the American College of Chest Physicians. She is a Master of the American College of Physicians. The American Heart Association awarded her the Distinguished Achievement Award, the Women in Cardiology Mentoring Award, and the highest award of the Association, the Gold Heart Award 

About Dr. Thourani

Dr. Thourani specializes in percutaneous transcatheter (transfemoral, transapical, transapical) and minimally invasive aortic valve surgery, minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement, aortic valve surgery and ascending aortic aneurysm repair, lone and concomitant atrial fibrillation surgery, and on and off pump coronary artery revascularization. As Associate Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinical Research Unit, Dr. Thourani is developing innovative strategies and devices to treat cardiothoracic diseases, specifically in the field of structural heart disease and valve surgery. He is a local surgical Co-PI for the multi-center PARTNER transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) trials. PARTNER 1 was instrumental in influencing the FDA’s 2011 approval of the the SAPIEN™ transfemoral transcatheter heart valve for treatment of high-risk patients with aortic stenosis. In 2012 Dr. Thourani presented the results of the PARTNER 2 trial, which showed that TAVR was not only as effective as the alternative minimally invasive technique, but might also be safer in the short term. Dr. Thourani is a member of multiple national leadership and publication committees for the treatment of valve surgery using percutaneous or minimally invasive techniques

Related Resources

• Full story for Dr. Thourani
• Patient Story TAVR
• Structural Heart Web

“The scary thing is that heart attacks in females are more likely to be fatal than in men,” explains Farheen Shirazi, Cardiologist at the Emory Heart & Vascular Center at Johns Creek. “Far too often, women ignore the warning signs of a heart attack and do not seek immediate medical attention. As time elapses, the muscles of the heart weaken, causing severe or life-threatening damage.”

Thankfully the awareness about heart disease continues to be on the rise. “The most important weapon against heart disease is awareness. Women need to research their family history and take time to educate themselves on not only the risk factors and symptoms of heart disease, but preventive medicine as well.”

How can you educate yourself? Join Dr. Shirazi on Tuesday, April 9 for an online web chat on women and heart disease. She will be available to answer your questions such as: what women can do to prevent heart disease, the importance of getting treatment right away and the research underway to combat heart disease in women.

 About Dr. Farheen Shirazi

Farheen Shirazi, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and a cardiologist at the Emory Heart & Vascular Center.  She specializes in preventive cardiology and heart disease in women.  Dr. Shirazi completed medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine, her Internship at New York University School of Medicine, her residency at Stanford Hospital and her Fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine.  Dr. Shirazi has been practicing at Emory since 2012 and primarily sees patients at Emory Heart & Vascular Center at Emory Johns Creek Hospital and Emory Heart & Vascular Center at Cumming She is passionate about educating women about how to prevent heart disease.

Related Links

• Women and Heart Disease Website
• Women and Heart Disease video
• Blog – Atypical Warning Signs for Heart Attack in Women
• Blog – Young Women, Take Notice: Heart Disease can Affect You Too!

You can register for our HeartWise events online!

♥ WomenHeart of Atlanta: Support Group
Monday, March 11, 12pm – 1:15pm

♥ Fundamentals of Strength Training
Clay Knight, Exercise Physiologist
Monday, March 18, 8:30am – 9:00am, Repeated at 12pm – 12:3pm

♥ Angina
Jane Whitmer, RN
Monday, March 25, 12pm – 12:30pm

♥ Benefits of Vitamin D
Paul White, MD, Rehabilitation Medicine Resident
Wednesday, March 20, 11:30am – 12pm

Admission is free and everyone is welcome and parking is validated for up to 2 hours. Call 404-778-2850 to reserve your seat, or you can sign up for a HeartWise lecture online.

*If you would like to purchase a t-shirt or calendar where the proceeds go to the HeartWise scholarship fund which allows patients who run into financial challenges continue the wellness and prevention, please call 404-778-2850.

Related Resources:

• Heart Disease Prevention videos
• Heart Disease Prevention & Cardiac Rehab Program
• Video: Women & Heart Disease

Emory Heart & Vascular Center vascular surgeon and Emory University School of Medicine associate professor of surgery Ravi Veeraswamy, MD, is the local principal investigator of the study. The trial, sponsored by Endologix, Inc., will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Ventana™ Fenestrated System for these patients.

It is estimated that 20% of diagnosed abdominal aortic aneurysms are not treatable with currently approved endovascular devices because they have extremely short aortic necks and/or involve the renal arteries. So it is exciting to know that early clinical experience with the new graft outside of the United States with the device has been promising. Until now, there has not been an “off the shelf” graft that could treat complex aneurysms that involve the renal arteries. Previously, surgeons had to burn holes in existing grafts or have customized devices made for each patient, involving time, labor and expense. Also the open repair is an invasive procedure that can result in significant blood loss, complication rates and long hospital stays.

Dr. Veeraswamy and his team are hopeful this new device will permit a less invasive treatment to be extended to a much larger group of patients. The distinguishing characteristics of the Ventana system include a main column intended to protect the aorta and exclude the aneurysm from blood flow, and two branched renal stent grafts that are inserted through the main device and into the renal arteries to maintain blood flow to the kidneys.

To learn more about the study, call Emory HealthConnection at 404-778-7777.

About Dr. Veeraswamy
Dr. Veeraswamy is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Sugery. He specializes in surgery and vascular surgery, and has been practicing with Emory since 2006. Some of his areas of clinical interest include aortic aneurysm, carotid endarterectomy, peripheral arterial and vascular disease, and vascular surgery. Recently, Dr. Veeraswamy has published articles in the Washington University Manual of Surgery, Vascular and Endovascular Challenges, and the Annals of Vascular Surgery.

Related Resources:

• Emory Heart & Vascular Center
• Vascular Video Gallery