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March 27, 2020
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ACC goes virtual to present cardiovascular science, education

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Andrew Kates
Pamela Morris

From March 28 to 30, the American College of Cardiology will host its Scientific Session, together with the World Congress of Cardiology, in a virtual format, with late-breaking clinical trials, keynotes and other sessions available online.

The annual meeting in Chicago was canceled on March 9 amid COVID-19 concerns and increasing travel advisories and restrictions placed on institutions and health care professionals in response to the pandemic.

The decision to move forward with a virtual experience was made “with regard to the health, safety and well-being of our members, staff, exhibitors, faculty, patients and other key stakeholders,” Andrew Kates, MD, FACC, chair of ACC.20/World Congress of Cardiology and cardiology fellowship program director and professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, said during a pre-meeting media briefing. “We also appreciate the importance of ACC members in being on the front lines in preparing and reacting to the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide.

“Although nothing can replace being together and the connectivity, what we will be able to share virtually will provide important practice-changing science and will also provide the education that’s key to our annual meeting,” Kates said.

The virtual meeting is offered free to anyone who wants to participate. Sessions will be available online live and on demand. Virtual attendees can anticipate 23 educational sessions, more than 3,700 abstracts from poster and oral presentations, 23 Late-Breaking Clinical Trials and 15 Featured Clinical Research Trials.

The virtual agenda spans important topics in the field of cardiology, from novel therapies to updates from key trials.

During the pre-meeting briefing, Pamela Morris, MD, FACC, vice chair of ACC.20/World Congress of Cardiology and director of the Seinsheimer Cardiovascular Health Program, co-director of the Women’s Heart Care Program and professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, highlighted several trials, including:

  • VICTORIA, which assessed vericiguat (Bayer/Merck), a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, for the treatment of worsening chronic HF with reduced ejection fraction. “The rise in longevity in this population means we have to prioritize the search for new and novel heart failure therapies,” Morris said.
  • VOYAGER-PAD, which evaluated rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Janssen/Bayer) for the prevention of CV and peripheral events after lower-extremity revascularization. “[VOYAGER-PAD] is an important trial to help inform optimal medical therapy for patients with PAD who require an interventional procedure for disease management,” she said.
  • TAILOR-PCI, which assessed the efficacy of clopidogrel pharmacogenetics. “This is the largest genotype-based cardiovascular trial that has been performed and will give us important information to guide the choice of post-PCI oral P2Y12 inhibitor therapy based on their genotype and the presence of a loss-of function mutation,” Morris said.
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  • The ACC Clinician Well-Being Study, which will “serve as the basis for us identifying strategies to reduce burnout among our cardiovascular clinicians and strategies for stress management,” she said.
  • A trial of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, results of which will “give us further guidance, particularly at this time when there is so much concern about the safety of electronic cigarettes,” Morris said.

Other research of interest will provide new insights in transcatheter aortic valve replacement, novel therapies for patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, and updates from trials including ISCHEMIA and COMPASS.

Beyond the research, Kates highlighted an opening showcase with an address from ACC President Richard J. Kovacs, MD, FACC; a keynote from Judith Richter, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Medinol and co-founder of The NIR School of the Heart, a program that brings together high school students from diverse backgrounds across the Middle East who have a strong interest in science; and six other keynotes. The virtual meeting will also feature a deep dive on cardio-obstetrics, which will serve as an important call to action as CVD is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, he said.

Healio and Cardiology Today will take part in the virtual experience and bring you updates on these highlights and more. Visit Healio’s Highlights from ACC Scientific Session and follow @CardiologyToday on Twitter during the meeting for breaking news, peer perspective and more. – by Darlene Dobkowski