In honor of World Heart Day, an annual event held by the World Heart Federation (WHF), three cardiologists are participating in a free webinar on Friday, Sept. 29, focused on the benefits of using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and FFR-CT to manage chest pain patients.
Cardiovascular Business produced the webinar with cooperation from HeartFlow. It is scheduled to occur at 7:45 a.m. ET and then again at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to register for free or view additional details.
CCTA-first pathways have gained more and more momentum in recent years. The webinar will explore what led to this trend—the 2021 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association chest pain guidelines, for example—and highlight recommendations for deferring medical imaging in low-risk patients. Another key topic will be how cardiologists and other members of the heart team can make improvements in cath lab efficiency.
Specialists expected to participate include James Udelson, MD, chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center; Michelle Kelsey, MD, a cardiologist with Duke Health; and Timothy Fairbairn, MBChB, MRCP, PhD, a consultant cardiologist at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.
Kelsey will review data from the PRECISE trial, which found that a CCTA-first pathway using FFR-CT technology can reduce unnecessary diagnostic testing and lead to an increased use of recommended medications.
Fairbairn, meanwhile, will focus on findings from the Fish and Chip trial, which detailed how the use of CCTA and FFR-CT led to significant reductions in all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality while reducing the frequency of downstream cardiovascular tests.
What is World Heart Day?
The WHF began celebrating World Heart Day more than two decades ago. Cardiologists, imaging specialists and other healthcare providers from all over the world honor the day by promoting healthy lifestyles and the advancement of state-of-the-art healthcare technologies. According to WHF estimates, the World Heart Day campaign reached more than 2 billion people in 2022 alone.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.