NYU Langone Heart Cardiologists Present at ACC's 75th Annual Scientific Session

NEW YORK, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardiologists from NYU Langone Heart are showcasing their latest clinical findings and research discoveries during the 2025 Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), held March 29 to 31 in Chicago.

Among the topics presented:

• The impact of psoriasis-induced inflammation on blood vessel lining and its potential contribution to heart disease risk
• Team-based decision making in determining the need for heart surgery during pregnancy for a severe heart infection
• The connection between sleep quality and heart health in women after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
• A minimally invasive approach to repositioning a misplaced TAVR valve in an elderly patient
• New guideline introduced for acute coronary syndrome management

"We are proud of the outstanding research and clinical advancements being presented at this year's conference," said Glenn I. Fishman, MD, the William Goldring Professor of Medicine and director of the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. "From exploring the link between psoriasis and heart disease, to addressing heart infections during pregnancy and advancing minimally invasive valve-replacement techniques, our faculty is at the forefront in advancing heart health and patient outcomes."

Faculty from the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology will participate in more than 50 presentations, on-demand discussions, and poster sessions throughout the conference. Below is a glimpse of some of the work being presented.

Psoriasis Can Affect the Blood Vessel Lining and May Contribute to Heart Disease

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes inflammation, and it's been linked to heart problems. In this poster abstract, Michael Garshick, MD, director of the Cardio-Rheumatology Program, part of NYU Langone Heart's Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, and his team examined how psoriasis affects the blood vessel lining and may contribute to plaque buildup in the heart. "People with psoriasis have more inflammation in their blood vessels, which can lead to more plaque in their arteries," said Dr. Garshick. "Our study details the mechanism through which blood vessel damage in psoriasis occurs, thereby promoting plaque buildup in the blood vessels." This research helps us understand how psoriasis can increase the risk of heart disease.

Saturday, March 29, 11 - 12 p.m. CT, South Hall, Session 1041 — Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Board 21: Endothelial Profiling in Psoriasis Reveals a Pro-Inflammatory Gene Signature Associated with Coronary Plaque Burden

A Complex Case: Deciding When Heart Surgery Is Needed During Pregnancy for a Serious Heart Infection

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an infection of the inner lining of the heart (endocardium), heart valves, and vascular structures. IE during pregnancy, though rare, is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition for both mother and fetus. In this complex case study, Dan G. Halpern, MD, medical director of NYU Langone Heart's Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program; Adam Small, MD, adult congenital heart disease cardiologist; and colleagues discuss a challenging case of a 31-year-old pregnant woman with a heart infection in the second trimester. "Managing heart infections during pregnancy requires timely and careful decision making," said Dr. Halpern. "In this case, surgery was needed to treat the infection, but the timing and potential complications had to be carefully considered due to the risks to both the mother and baby."

The patient received treatment, including surgery performed by Syed T. Hussain, MD, to replace the damaged heart valve. Both mom and baby recovered well. This case highlights the importance of a team approach to making decisions in complex situations and will be presented by Eric Bailey, MD, resident in the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Saturday, March 29, 12:36 - 12:43 p.m. CT, Moderated Poster Theater 15, Session 929 — ACC Complex Clinical Cases: Valvular Heart Diseases: Deciding When Endocarditis Valve Surgery Is Necessary During Pregnancy

Sleep and Heart Health Among Women After High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

Poor sleep is linked to a higher risk of heart problems. Mothers of young children are at a particularly high risk of poor sleep health. In this study, researchers in the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone looked at whether women three to seven years after childbirth who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including conditions like preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, had worse sleep and heart health when compared to women with no complications of pregnancy. "We found that poor sleep is common across the board, with no significant difference between women with prior HDP and those with normal blood pressure during pregnancy," said Anais Hausvater, MD, lead author and co-director of NYU Langone's Cardio-Obstetrics Program. "These results suggest that improving sleep and heart health should be a priority for all women in the years after childbirth, not just those with a history of high blood pressure during pregnancy."

The study showed that, on average, women slept only 6.65 hours per night (less than the recommended seven-plus hours), and their sleep quality was poor across the group (median Pittsburgh Sleep Index score of 7). These findings indicate that sleep and heart health improvements are needed for a broader population of mothers after childbirth. Elianna Shwayder, medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, will be presenting the poster.

Saturday, March 29, 2 - 3 p.m. CT, South Hall, Board 50: Sleep and Cardiovascular Health Among Women After HDP

Successfully Fixing a Misplaced Heart Valve Without Open-Heart Surgery

Minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the preferred procedure for severe aortic stenosis in older adults, surpassing open-heart surgery. In extremely rare cases, however, the new valve can shift out of place, a complication known as valve embolization. In this session, Sibi Krishnamurthy, MD, an interventional and structural cardiologist at NYU Langone's Heart Valve Center, discusses a challenging case he and his colleagues, interventional cardiologist Cezar S. Staniloae, MD, cardiothoracic surgeons Mathew R. Williams, MD, and Jamie M. Eridon, MD, from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, successfully treated.

The team cared for an 85-year-old man with a history of multiple heart procedures, including coronary bypass, stents, pacemaker, and most recently, TAVR at another hospital. After a month, he showed signs of heart failure, and imaging revealed his prosthetic valve had embolized into the left ventricle. The original TAVR was undersized, causing it to slip. Open-heart surgery was high risk due to his age and previous surgery.

"Instead of open-heart surgery, we opted for a hybrid minimally invasive transapical approach," said Dr. Krishnamurthy. "We made a small incision through the heart's apex, snared the embolized valve with specialized catheters and wires, sutured it in place, and successfully implanted a new valve with the correct size. The patient recovered well and continues to do so, offering a safe alternative to open-heart surgery for complex valve issues."

Sunday, March 30, 8:24 - 8:31 a.m. CT, S502A, Session 313, Interventional Challenging Cases #1 — Embolizing TAVR Valve in LVOT: A Unique Retrieval Case

Dr. Sunil Rao Leads New Guideline on Acute Coronary Syndrome Management

Sunil Rao, MD, director of interventional cardiology at NYU Langone Heart, led the development of an updated guideline for managing acute coronary syndrome, which includes heart attacks and unstable chest pain. The updated recommendations focus on personalized treatment strategies, optimizing medications, and improving outcomes for high-risk patients. Dr. Rao will talk about this new guideline in a Town Hall session on Sunday, March 30, 11:30 - 12:30 p.m. CT in room S100a.

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SOURCE NYU Langone Health