HeartSpeak Consult

Nationally recognized subject matter expert and leader in the field of transplant cardiology, Dr. Shelley Hall, will provide clinicians with an overview of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure patients who have reduced ejection fraction. This therapy is the cornerstone of pharmacological therapy for patients with heart failure but is under-utilized despite the multiple random trials demonstrating improved clinical outcomes. The different drug classes involved in GDMT will be discussed including the initial approach and effective titration in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Dr. Kumar will explain coronary microvascular disease for clinicians. Up to 50% of people who experience chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath symptoms may not have narrowing of arteries often caused by a build-up of plaque. These patients were often diagnosed with “chest pain syndrome X” until advances in specialized testing allowed cardiologists to provide a more specific diagnosis: coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). The podcast information will be helpful to primary care providers and others who may have patients experiencing the symptoms. Dr. Kumar is passionate about helping patients who experience these symptoms and their primary care physicians who may have challenges managing these patients. Together with a multidisciplinary team at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital - Fort Worth, individualized treatment plans and options are provided. For more information about CMD and to make a referral, please reach out to a program nurse navigator at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital - Fort Worth at 817.922.7132.

Cardiac CTs are being used more frequently to evaluate patients for coronary artery disease (CAD). This includes screening asymptomatic patients with coronary calcium scoring and the use of CT coronary angiography to evaluate for symptomatic coronary plaque. This on-demand webinar by HeartSpeak Consult Live is presented by Jeffrey Schussler, MD, FACC, FSCAI, chief medical officer and an interventional cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate about 2.5% of the US population, or 7.5 million Americans, are living with mitral valve disease. As the population ages, mitral valve disease may become more prevalent in a primary care or clinical cardiologist's practice. Listen to Dr. Yashasvi Chugh address what clinicians need to know for their patients they suspect need a mitral valve specialist.

Learn from an interventional cardiologist with particular training and interest in structural heart disease about the increased risk for strokes and the treatment options available for patients diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale (PFO); commonly known as a "hole in the heart."

Jeffrey Schussler, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Chief Medical Officer and an interventional cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital, provides information on cardiac computed tomography (CT) imaging studies to guide physicians when determining treatment decisions. In this podcast, Dr. Schussler discusses the types of studies available, the benefits of these studies and when to refer to an advanced center.

Recent findings presented at American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in 2022 indicated that early treatment for atrial fibrillation patients is significant for the reduction of risks and repeated hospitalization.

Christopher Hebert, MD, medical director of the Hypertension Center at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and a nephrologist on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center, discusses how to manage resistant hypertension.

In this podcast, Medical Director for Sleep Center at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital - Dallas, Dr. Eneida Harrison, will speak to primary care providers who may need information on the management of their patients with a suspected sleep disorder.  The American Heart Association recently included sleep health in their latest platform for heart health now called the Essential 8.

ECMO has gained national and international attention in the past few years because its usage to treat patients with COVID-19. But ECMO has been around long before the pandemic. So, what is ECMO?