RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health to Unveil Pioneering Cardiovascular Research at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo

Research will highlight the latest advancements in cardiovascular care through 55 abstract presentations

WEST ORANGE, N.J., March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Physician-scientists from RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health will showcase a comprehensive collection of innovative cardiovascular research at this year's American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo (ACC.25), taking place in Chicago, IL from March 29-31, 2025. A total of 55 abstracts will be presented, featuring clinical data and analyses that advance the understanding, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular disease. 

Research presented at the conference was conducted by residents and faculty in the cardiovascular service at Community Medical Center, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. RWJBarnabas Health cardiac centers of excellence are nationally recognized for patient care and superior outcomes, including being named as one of Becker's top 100 Great Heart Programs in the country and recognized by American College of Cardiology as a Proven Quality Program. Rutgers Health faculty presenting at the conference represents the Division of Cardiology and the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension and the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 

"We continue to drive advancements in cardiovascular care and enhance patient outcomes through transformative research and clinical excellence," said Conor Barrett, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of RWJBarnabas Health Heart and Vascular Services. "The data we are presenting at ACC.25 underscores our ongoing commitment to innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart and vascular diseases. By leveraging cutting-edge science and fostering collaboration with leading experts, we are developing strategies that not only reduce cardiovascular risk but also improve the overall quality of life for patients in our communities."

RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health remain at the forefront of cardiovascular innovation. Their participation at ACC.25 reinforces their ongoing commitment to advancing research, improving patient outcomes, and shaping the future of heart and vascular care.

Highlights of the accepted abstracts include the following presentations:

• Research exploring the use of machine learning models based on cardiac ultrasound radiomics (ultrasomics) to identify myocardial infarction with high accuracy. It compares traditional handcrafted ultrasound features with deep learning-based 3D convolutional neural networks, demonstrating that ultrasomics could provide the association with CMR-driven infarct localization and myocardial tissue characterization in acute myocardial infarction patients.
• Highlights from a Fragility Index Analysis of the ARIES-HM3 trial, which evaluated the robustness of findings supporting an aspirin-free regimen in HeartMate III LVAD patients. The analysis confirms that the composite primary outcome (survival free of a major nonsurgical hemocompatibility-related adverse events, including stroke, pump thrombosis, major bleeding, or arterial thrombosis) remains robust with an FI of 24, driven primarily by a reduction in bleeding events, reinforcing the trial's potential practice-changing impact.
• Findings from the FINEARTS-HF trial which demonstrated efficacy of finerenone in the reduction of a composite endpoint of cardiovascular death and heart failure events in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥40%. This fragility index analysis confirms that these findings are remarkably robust, with a Fragility Index (FI) of 112, primarily driven by a significant reduction in heart failure hospitalizations (F1 of 112), making it more robust than most practice-changing trials in the cardiology field.
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in cancer treatment but can cause rare, life-threatening myocarditis. Our findings highlight that timely recognition and management of ICI-induced myocarditis are crucial to preventing severe cardiac complications.
• Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a complex, life-threatening disease with limited treatment options, however the approval of Mavacamten introduced a novel approach by directly targeting the disease's molecular pathology. Our findings suggest the need for further research to evaluate long-term side effects of Mavacamten.

The full list of presentations at this year's ACC.25 Annual Scientific Session & Expo can be found here.

About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering eight counties with five million people. The system includes twelve acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, three acute care children's hospitals, Children's Specialized Hospital with a network of outpatient pediatric rehabilitation centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state's largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, affiliated medical groups, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey's largest private employers – with more than 41,000 employees and 9,000 physicians– and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health launched an affiliation with Rutgers University to create New Jersey's largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers' education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. 

For journalists – contact:
Krista Didzbalis 
Corporate Communications Specialist, Strategic Communications, RWJBarnabas Health
732.507.8307
[email protected]

SOURCE RWJBarnabas Health