Matters of the Heart

¡Hola listeners! Rahul has returned from the ESC meeting in Madrid full of beans and ready to burst about two interesting trials. Listen in for a short brief on the ALONE-AF trial examining anticoagulation withdrawal after AF ablation and the use of myosin inhibitors in HCM patients without obstruction. If you like the show, please leave a review - we would love to hear from you.

Have you ever had a confused look on your face while someone waxes lyrical about the arrhythmic mitral valve complex? It's not the latest in the DSM-V. Join Rahul for a solo return episode where we run through what constitutes an arrhythmic mitral valve and what you can do about it.

Thicken your knowledge about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with Rahul as he interviews the superb Dr. Andris Ellims, head of the Alfred HCM clinic. This episode includes a brief update of HCM diagnosis and genetics before exploring contemporary management strategies for HCM. As you might be aware, mavacamten (a cardiac myosin inhibitor) has just been approved in Australia for the treatment of obstructive HCM. Now is a great time to get familiar with the data behind the drug and get some practical tips from one of Australia's best on how to use it in your practice.

Complete your knowledge around mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices with this episode on Temporary MCS with Dr. Pankaj Jain from Sydney. This episode touches on cardiogenic shock before exploring the ins and outs of temporary MCS devices including the balloon pump, the impella devices and VA ECMO. DanGer Shock - a large RCT evaluating the Impella device - was released during the recording of this podcast so be sure to stick around for the discussion of DanGer Shock at the end of the podcast. As always, happy listening! If you have any suggestions or would like to join me on the show please reach out to me at rahul@mattersoftheheartcast.com

Join Rahul and Dr. Sriram Rao as they plumb through the depths of mechanical circulatory support for advanced heart failure. Dr. Rao is the Director of Heart Failure at the Victorian Heart Hospital. He has a wealth of experience in ventricular assist devices and heart transplant, having just returned from the Hospital for the University of Pennsylvania and MedStar Washington Hospital in the USA. We cover the state of the art in ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts, as well as the key points for a non-VAD cardiologist to be across.

Join Rahul and Professor Stephen Nicholls as they pick apart the peculiarities of the Lp(a) particle. Steve wears many hats as a clinical trialist, lipidologist, leader of the Victorian Heart Institute and current president of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. In this podcast, we talk about the structure and function of Lp(a), the evidence supporting Lp(a) as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, how to approach testing for Lp(a) and finally how to manage someone with a high Lp(a). Steve is an investigator on many of the trials testing new Lp(a) lowering therapies and guides us on how the scene is likely to take shape in the next few years. Don't miss this one!

Join Rahul and A/Prof. Adam Brown as we peer beyond the veil of coronary intravascular imaging to understand the state of the art and its growing role in coronary intervention today. Adam is an academic interventional cardiologist who has spent his career understanding coronary mechanical forces, plaque composition and the atherosclerotic disease process. Tune in for the latest and greatest in coronary intravascular imaging!