HCB News: What are the most exciting advancements in cardiovascular care that will be highlighted at this year’s ACC meeting?
CB: Obviously, the late-breaking clinical trials are always something that we are all anxious and looking forward to. The science will never cease to amaze me. Looking at the continual advances in the treatment of heart failure, and what we can really do for our patients, is really remarkable.

Looking at the new use of GLP1’s, and their role in caring for our CV patients. Understanding cardio-metabolic syndrome, and looking at weight loss is important. We know we have an epidemic of obesity and these drugs are having an amazing impact for many patients, but now we've got to get them economically accessible.
One of the big late-breaking clinical trials is looking at the primary and secondary outcomes for women. (We need to make) sure that our trials are set up in such a way that is very inclusive — not only gender inclusive, but culturally inclusive. We know our Southeast Asian population identifies very differently with disease processes all these areas need research in order for us to truly care for our patients.

I believe one of the other early late-breakers will be looking at semaglutides and diabetes, so I think our GLP-1 (drugs) and how we really use those for our patients is going to be a hallmark for future years. Evidence-based research is amazing. It sometimes gives us answers that we didn't even know we were looking for. Look at the amazing impact it has had with our diabetic patients and in our heart-failure patients. Utilizing the science to drive our technology is so critically important, and that's what ACC is all about.

HCB News: How is the ACC working to improve health equity in cardiovascular care, particularly for underrepresented populations?
CB: Our true north will remain, as it has been, with diversity, equity and inclusion. Our Diversity and Inclusion Committee has been very active. Our Health Equity Committee will become a standing committee of the college at this meeting. We must ensure equitable access for all our patients – no matter where they live.

COVID showed us a lot — I'm not going to say it taught us a lot, because I'm not sure we learned, but it certainly showed us a lot. So (we) really (need to be) looking at our underrepresented populations as it relates to many, many things, including prevention - something as simple as blood pressure screenings and lipid screenings. At our community event that we will be doing at the (Salvation Army) Kroc Center over on the south side of Chicago on Tuesday, (we'll be) making sure that we really are bringing care to our patients in their neighborhoods, where they live, where their communities are, making sure that our social determinants of health are really embedded in every single treatment plan.

Having guideline-directed medical therapy is not going to get us to the end point. We need to use that guideline-directed medical therapy with our social determinants of health so that our patients are compliant, they understand the treatment plan (and) they can afford it. We have to explain it to them in language and in verbiage that is at their educational level — not ours, but theirs — so they truly become partners in their healthcare. Health equity will remain front and center, as well as making sure our care teams are diverse and inclusive, and that they understand the cultures of our patients that we're treating globally as well as nationally.

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