Nihar Desai, MD, MPH

Panelists discuss how guideline-directed medical therapy has evolved to include 4-pillar treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor‐neprilysin inhibitors, β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, SGLT2 inhibitors) that can reduce mortality by up to 60% and extend life by 6 years, though significant implementation gaps remain, with only about one-third of eligible patients receiving appropriate therapy, necessitating rapid initiation of all 4 drug classes within weeks rather than sequential titration.

Panelists discuss how effective heart failure management requires collaborative care across multiple specialties (primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology) with advanced practice providers serving as dedicated coordinators, utilizing multidisciplinary teams and algorithm-driven care protocols to optimize patient outcomes and prevent the hot potato approach to complex comorbidities.

Panelists discuss how heart failure classification involves HFrEF vs HFpEF distinctions and staging systems (A through D), with the greatest prevention opportunities existing in early stages A and B, where patients have risk factors or subclinical dysfunction but haven’t yet developed overt clinical symptoms.

Panelists discuss how quality metrics should focus on keeping patients out of hospitals through core medical therapies, measuring all-cause hospitalizations and days spent at home in the community, while tracking both process metrics (guideline-directed medical therapy prescriptions, comorbidity management) and outcome metrics (mortality, readmissions, quality of life) with financial incentives through Medicare Accountable Care Organization programs.

Panelists discuss how heart failure affects 1 in 4 people over their lifetime with 7 million current cases in the US, while Optum Health has implemented an innovative screening program using symptom questionnaires, BNP testing, and echocardiograms for patients over age 60 years during wellness visits.

Panelists discuss how heart failure creates a massive economic burden of approximately $30 billion annually (expected to reach $70 billion to $80 billion by 2030), driven by hospitalizations, readmissions, expensive multidrug regimens costing over $20,000 to $30,000 per patient, and high-cost interventions like ablations and advanced therapies.

Panelists discuss how reaching underserved populations requires proactive outreach, digital health tools with appropriate training, addressing health literacy barriers, and ensuring equitable access to diabetes technologies and treatments rather than waiting for patients to seek care.

Panelists discuss how clinical decision support tools, care pathways, and artificial intelligence can address primary care workforce shortages by providing real-time guidance, predictive modeling for high-risk patients, and autonomous agents for patient outreach and care coordination.

Panelists discuss how data systems and registries should focus on improving care quality rather than just reimbursement, with patient empowerment strategies that encourage individuals to advocate for better treatments like de-prescribing harmful medications.

Panelists discuss how organizations must create system-wide cultural changes through staff training, appropriate clinical environments, evidence-based treatment access, and incentive structures that support rather than punish providers for addressing obesity as a chronic disease.

Panelists discuss how unconscious bias and weight stigma create barriers to care, requiring providers to acknowledge their own biases, create welcoming clinical environments with appropriate accommodations, and approach patients with compassion rather than judgment about willpower.

Panelists discuss how effective provider-patient communication about weight requires opening conversations with empathy and collaboration, using phrases like "I'm concerned about your weight" and avoiding stigmatizing language while understanding patient motivations and readiness for change.

Panelists discuss how supporting primary care providers requires moving beyond passive quality measures to peer-to-peer education, transparent performance feedback, multidisciplinary team resources, and creative care delivery models that address the "27-hour day" problem.

Panelists discuss how UPMC's integrated delivery and financing system enables coordinated care through e-consults, proactive outreach to primary care physicians, case management, telemedicine, and streamlined referral processes that reduce friction for patients and providers.

Panelists discuss how implementing cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health requires a team-based approach using the analogy of football, where physicians coach multidisciplinary teams to help patients overcome barriers and achieve health goals.

Panelists discuss how GLP-1 receptor agonists represent a paradigm shift by providing weight loss, glycemic control, and cardiovascular protection simultaneously, moving focus beyond A1C control to comprehensive risk reduction.

Panelists discuss how treating obesity as the root cause can create a "virtuous cycle" where weight loss improves insulin resistance, reduces medication needs, and enables better physical activity, breaking the traditional reactive approach to diabetes management.

Panelists discuss how barriers to implementing evidence-based obesity and diabetes care include limited provider time, lack of multidisciplinary teams, insufficient education about obesity physiology, and high costs of medications and programs.

Panelists discuss how ADA recommendations emphasize treating diabetes as part of overlapping conditions requiring cardiovascular and kidney protection, moving beyond just glycemic control to comprehensive care that addresses the whole person.

Panelists discuss how hormonal adaptations during weight loss in diabetes patients improve insulin sensitivity, while the DiRECT trial demonstrates that structured weight management programs can achieve diabetes remission in nearly half of newly diagnosed patients.

Experts share their final thoughts on the discussion, offering key takeaways and reflections on the importance of lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) testing and its role in improving cardiovascular risk management

Experts discuss lessons learned from implementing lipid-lowering therapy recommendations and explore the role value-based care models may play in successfully adopting the National Lipid Association’s (NLA) recommendation for lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) testing.

Experts discuss lessons learned from implementing lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) testing in health care systems, how health systems can prioritize patients for testing based on the National Lipid Association’s (NLA) recommendation, the role of integrated delivery networks in helping providers identify priority patients, and strategies for adding electronic health record alerts for Lp(a) testing.

Experts discuss the current prevalence of lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) testing in the US, both in the general population and among those with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), its commonality within health plans, and how payers, population health decision makers, and provider groups can integrate Lp(a) testing into broader population health management strategies.

Experts discuss how knowledge of lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) levels can empower patients in managing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors, how providers can collaborate with patients on Lp(a) testing and risk management, the potential population-level value of improved ASCVD risk assessment, and how the National Lipid Association’s (NLA) recommendation for one-time Lp(a) testing may benefit health systems.

Experts discuss how lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) testing, even without targeted Lp(a)-lowering therapies, can enhance overall cardiovascular risk assessment and potentially influence the management of other risk factors.

Experts discuss FDA-approved therapies for high lipoprotein(a) [Lp[a]) levels, their benefits and shortcomings, the frequency of their use in health plans, emerging therapies in the pipeline, and the expected timeline for associated data release.

Experts discuss the cost of lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) tests and how these costs, along with the National Lipid Association’s (NLA) recommendation and supporting clinical evidence, may influence payer decisions regarding coverage for Lp(a) testing.

Experts discuss whether providers should wait for another complete scientific statement from the National Lipid Association (NLA) or new guidelines from organizations like the American Heart Association (AHA) before implementing the 2024 NLA recommendation for universal lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) measurement.

Experts discuss the evidence supporting the National Lipid Association’s (NLA) recommendation for universal lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) measurement and evaluate how compelling this evidence is from a clinical perspective.