ACC/WCC: American College of Cardiology/World Congress of Cardiology Virtual Experience

Higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) found in the blood appear to explain why icosapent ethyl drives down the risk of a cardiovascular (CV) event, according to findings presented at the 2020 American College of Cardiology/World Congress of Cardiology Virtual Experience.

Patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia saw average reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 47.1% over 24 weeks. Reductions began to appear as early as 2 weeks after patients started taking the drug in the double-blind trial.

The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC® ) interviewed Craig I. Coleman, PharmD, University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy/Hartford Hospital Evidence-Based Practice Center, on bleeding-related hospitalizations in both patients at high thrombotic risk and those administered andexanet alfa or 4-Factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4FPCC).

The American Journal of Managed Care® discussed an indirect comparison of andexanet alfa and prothrombin complex concentrate therapy with Alexander T. Cohen, MBBS, MSc, MD, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Results for ISCHEMIA and ISCHEMIA-CKD, first presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) and due to publish shortly, continued to generate discussion Sunday, when the 2020 American College of Cardiology / World Congress of Cardiology Virtual Experience featured a pair of online presentations with additional insights into these trials.

In VICTORIA, patients within the first 3 quartiles of peptide elevation had results more impressive than the overall findings. However, patients with the highest quartile did not seem to benefit. This raises the question whether the sickest of the sick patients will benefit from vericiguat, said Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA, chairman for the Department of Medicine at the University of Mississippi.

The American Journal of Managed Care® interviewed Ashish Pershad, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Banner–University Medicine Heart Institute, on findings of the PARTNER 3 low-risk randomized trial, SPYRAL-HTN OFF MED pivotal trial, and ISCHEMIA and ISCHEMIA-CKD trials. These studies are part of the 2020 American College of Cardiology / World Congress of Cardiology Virtual Experience.

Results of a study comparing apixaban with low-molecular-weight heparin as a treatment to prevent recurrent blood clots in patients with cancer may assuage some of the concern about the bleeding risk associated with direct-acting oral anticoagulants.

We need more than ever credible clinical data both on the pandemic, but also how to understand how the pandemic’s going to affect patients in the cardiovascular field, said Richard Kovacs, MD, FACC, clinical cardiologist and president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

The trial showed that patients taking this novel therapy, an oral soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, were 10% less likely to experience the primary outcome—a composite of death from cardiovascular (CV) causes or first hospitalization for HF—than those taking placebo. The drug could address the sickest patients through a mechanism that would take on HF progression.

Results from VICTORIA show vericiguat produced a 10% relative risk reduction in the highest-risk patients with heart failure. Study patients had about 3 times the health risk seen in recent heart failure trials, which showed higher relative risk reductions. However, VICTORIA saw a 4% absolute risk reduction, which is the same as the others, said Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA, chairman for the Department of Medicine at the University of Mississippi.

The study, Vascular Outcomes Study of ASA Along with Rivaroxaban in Endovascular or Surgical Limb Revascularization for PAD (VOYAGER-PAD), was designed to fill a knowledge gap: it asked whether a well-known therapy developed to prevent blood clots could be used to prevent events, including acute ischemia in the leg for patients after revascularization.

We have our featured research that we're going to bring—our keynotes, our Young Investigator Awards presentations, and we're going to have some special emphasis on global health, especially relevant in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Richard Kovacs, MD, FACC, clinical cardiologist and president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

Research highlighting these trends, based on 10 million death records pulled from a CDC database, will be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session together with World Congress of Cardiology (ACC.20/WCC), which is taking place as a virtual meeting March 28-30.

Giving statins to women before they undergo treatment for breast cancer may help prevent the heart damage caused by some well-known therapies, including trastuzumab.

Social determinants found within a person’s environment, mainly where they live and work, have been shown to influence outcomes related to health, functioning, and quality of life, especially where risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is concerned, according to study results that will be presented during ACC.20/WCC Virtual.

The big news at the American College of Cardiology meeting always comes early Saturday right after the opening showcase, and this year March 28 will bring the VICTORIA trial—or, a Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF).