Latest Developments in Cardiac Care
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the US. However, cardiologists continue to explore innovative ways to deal with the disease. Thankfully, many of these developments show promise to reduce our overall incidence of heart disease and its fatal outcomes like heart attack and stroke.
Here are some of the latest developments we’ve seen in cardiology that can help you maintain and improve heart health.
Weight-Loss Drugs
Although the class of weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 agonists or GLP-1 analogs has been approved for use in the US since 2005, their recent expansion is nothing less than a revolution in cardiac care.
Between 2017 and 2021, GLP-1 agonist prescriptions grew 4000% overall. This growth has continued, and in a 2024 survey, about one in eight adults (12%) say they have ever taken a GLP-1 agonist. Although this class of medication was originally approved as a way to control diabetes, about one-third of those currently taking the medications are obese, but don’t have diabetes.
The scale of this intervention makes it the biggest drug intervention to improve heart health since statins, which at their peak were prescribed to more than a third of all adults.
As these drugs can have a significant positive impact not just on a person’s weight but also on their cardiovascular risk, this can transform the practice of cardiology. However, experts caution that we still don’t fully understand the risks associated with long-term GLP-1 use.
Bempedoic Acid for Cholesterol Reduction
However, GLP-1 agonists aren’t the only drug therapy that’s making an impact on heart health. In 2020, the FDA approved a new type of drug for cholesterol reduction. Bempedoic acid inhibits the function of the enzyme adenosine triphosphate citrate lyase (ACLY). ACLY does several things in the body, but for cardiology, the most important function is its role in body’s processing of fat and creation of cholesterol. Inhibiting ACLY can reduce cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials show that taking bempedoic acid can reduce cholesterol levels. However, the jury is still out on whether bempedoic acid will actually improve clinical endpoints like reducing the incidence of stroke, heart attacks, cardiovascular death, and overall death rate. Still, it’s a promising option for people with high cholesterol levels and can’t tolerate other cholesterol-reducing drugs like statins.
Pulse Field Ablation (PFA) for Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (afib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat. Left untreated, afib can increase a person’s risk of heart failure, stroke, and dementia.
Afib occurs because some heart tissues produce erratic electric impulses that trigger an irregular heartbeat. One of the most successful treatments for afib is cardiac ablation: destroying the heart tissues that cause the irregular heartbeat, leaving the rest of the healthy heart to beat more regularly.
In the past, ablation used heat or cold to damage the disruptive heart tissues. Pulse field ablation (PFA) is a new technique that uses controlled electrical shocks to damage the targeted tissue. PFA is safer, reducing the risk of complications by 60% compared to thermal ablation. It also has a 13% higher success rate.
South Denver Cardiology doctor Sri Sundaram performed the first PFA procedure in the tri-state region of Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming on March 13, 2024.
Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
The aortic valve is the valve that separates the left ventricle from the aorta, the main artery that transports blood from the heart to the body. This valve is under tremendous pressure, and as a result, it can experience several problems, including aortic stenosis, where the valve becomes stiff and can’t open as well as it needs to. The problems that can come from this include heart failure, lightheadedness, and potentially even death.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) allows a cardiologist to replace the aortic valve without open heart surgery. Instead, a catheter travels from the groin to the inside of the heart, where it places a replacement valve.
At first, this procedure was recommended only for patients considered too sick or vulnerable for open-heart surgery. Now, though, research shows that its outcomes equal or exceed those of open-heart surgery, so it is recommended for almost everyone who needs aortic valve replacement.
Get Advanced Cardiac Care at South Denver Cardiology Associates
If you are looking for cardiac care that incorporates the most recent developments in the field, let South Denver Cardiology Associates help. We practice at the leading edge of the discipline and can offer the newest treatment options to our patients.
However, this doesn’t mean we always push the newest treatment. Instead, we work hard to match you with the care that is best for your heart health. Sometimes, this means advanced treatments like PFA or TAVR. Other times, it means improving your diet and getting more exercise, which you can get at our supervised medical fitness gym or wherever you feel most comfortable. When you come to South Denver Cardiology Associates, we will discuss your condition and determine whether you will benefit most from preventive cardiology, interventional cardiology, or a combination of both. Then we will work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that is both tailored to your needs and fits your lifestyle, preferences, and budget.
If you want to learn how South Denver Cardiology can improve your heart health, please contact us today for an appointment.
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