Friday, March 27

Pregnancy and the Heart: What Every Clinician Needs to Know in 2026
Marriott Warehouse Arts District | Cypress Ballroom (2nd Floor)
6 – 9 p.m.

Join Mayo Clinic for a complimentary evening of cardiovascular obstetrics. Enjoy a dinner followed by an interactive case-based discussion where we will focus on cardiovascular disease in pregnancy, a leading cause of maternal mortality. Join us for:

• Multidisciplinary evidence-based approaches to high-risk obstetric cardiovascular conditions
• Case-driven insights applicable to real-world clinical practice
• Complimentary dinner and the opportunity to network with colleagues

This program is designed to support collaborative care and provide practical strategies applicable to clinical practice. Register today.

Speakers

Katie A. Young, MD (Course Director)
Rekha Mankad, MD (Course Director)
Demilade A. Adedinsewo, MB, ChB
Kari A. Dessner, APRN, CNP
Marissa L. Kauss, MD
David S. Majdalany, MD
Carl H. Rose, MD
Marysia S. Tweet, MD, MS
Carole A. Warnes, MD

Friday, March 27 – Evening Events

4513. Impacting Patient Outcomes in ATTR-CM Through Early Recognition and Treatment
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom D
Sponsored by BridgeBio

Join this dynamic session featuring leading specialists who will share insights on recent approaches in ATTR-CM diagnosis and management, including ongoing gaps in care and emerging clinical data for a TTR stabilizer in both variant and wild-type disease. This interactive program will also welcome a patient with ATTR-CM who will share their journey live, highlighting diagnostic challenges and their path to patient advocacy.

Speakers:

Nicole Cyrille-Superville, MD (Moderator)
Atrium Health Sanger Health & Vascular Institute

Keith Ferdinand, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASH, FNLA
Tulane School of Medicine

Art Still
Patient advocate, Still4Life

Joban Vaishnav, MD
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Kevin Alexander, MD, FACC, FHFSA
Standford University

4514. Cracking the Code: Practical Encounters and Evolving Evidence in HF and CKD Care
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom A, 1st Floor
Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim

This live, in-person educational activity equips clinicians with practical skills to improve care for patients with heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Participants will learn to recognize early indicators and risk factors for HF progression in patients with or at risk for CKD; apply and optimize guideline‑directed medical therapy (GDMT) across HF phenotypes (HF with reduced ejection fraction [HFrEF], HF with preserved ejection fraction [HFpEF]) and CKD with effective sequencing strategies; and address common misconceptions that delay appropriate GDMT. Expert faculty will review the role of aldosterone in HF and CKD and examine emerging data on aldosterone synthase inhibition. Through case‑based sessions and interprofessional discussion, attendees will walk away able to practice shared decision‑making, manage medication safety, and implement team-based workflow strategies for early diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapy optimization.

Speakers:

Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA
Distinguished Professor of Medicine
University of Mississippi; Jackson, Mississippi
Maxwell A. and Gayle H. Clampitt Endowed Chair
President and Chief Research Executive
Baylor Scott and White Research Institute
Senior Vice President, Baylor Scott and White Health
Dallas, Texas

Anuradha Lala-Trindade, MD
Associate Professor
Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital
New York, New York

Robert J. Mentz, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine with Tenure
Chief, Heart Failure Section
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cardiac Failure

4515. To Lead or Not to Lead, That Is the Question
6 p.m. – Midnight
Sponsored by Medtronic

This session explores LINQ's clinical impact and evolving applications, bridging two decades of innovation with the latest insights on arrhythmias in heart failure. Integrating expert perspectives on real-world clinical judgment, we'll discuss device selection strategies across diverse patient profiles, connecting diagnostics to therapeutic devices. Attendees will gain practical, evidence-based frameworks for therapeutic decision-making, ensuring scientific rigor and actionable relevance for the referral cardiology community.

Speaker:

Ijeoma Ekeruo, MD, FACC
Cardiac Electrophysiologist
Arrhythmia Care Center, Houston, Texas

Saturday, March 28 – Morning Events

4501. Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: Integrating New Paradigms Into Cardiology Practice
7 – 8 a.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom D
Sponsored by The Mended Hearts for Alynlyam

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA), a not-so-rare disorder for the practicing cardiologist, is associated with reduced functional capacity, disability, and a low life expectancy. Insights into ATTR-CA pathophysiology and advances in imaging techniques that allow for non-invasive diagnosis have promoted the development of multiple therapies that slow disease progression and improve quality of life and survival. Three therapies are now approved, with two of these approvals obtained in the past year. However, clinicians must initiate targeted therapies for ATTR-CA early in the disease for the best outcomes.

Unfortunately, diagnostic delays remain prevalent due to failure to recognize patterns of common clinical manifestations. Even when clinicians consider ATTR-CA, diagnostic pitfalls can result in misdiagnosis and a missed opportunity for early treatment. These missed opportunities underscore the need for physician education on appropriate screening and diagnostic strategies. In addition, the growing number of therapeutic options presents a challenge for cardiologists unfamiliar with these agents, especially when guideline recommendations do not yet encompass all available treatments.

This educational program will pair compelling, real-world case scenarios with the practice-changing evidence. Each session will feature expert panel-based ATTR-CA discussions and use a sample case with story-based learning to demonstrate best practices for recognizing ATTR-CA, avoiding diagnostic pitfalls, and selecting therapy. This activity promises to show how professionals can navigate the rapidly evolving ATTR-CA therapeutic landscape to confidently and competently deliver evidence-based care and achieve enhanced clinical outcomes.

Speakers:

Sarah Cuddy, MD
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Vasvi Singh, MD, FACC, FASNC, FSCCT
Midwest Heart and Vascular Specialists
HCA Midwest Health
Overland Park, Kansas

4503. Voices of Change: Flyrcado in Action
7 – 7:45 a.m.
Courtyard New Orleans Warehouse Arts District
Sponsored by GE Healthcare

Join us for a dynamic breakfast panel where early adopters share how Flyrcado can reshape cardiac imaging and care. Hear real-world stories from both imagers and referring cardiologists about its impact on clinical practice and patient outcomes. Gain practical insights, ask questions, and connect with peers driving innovation in coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosis and management.

Speaker:

Jamie Bourque, MD
UVA

4502. Mastering the Intersection: Applying Non-Steroidal MRAs in Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Disease
7 – 8 a.m.
Grand Ballroom A & B, 1st Floor
Sponsored by Bayer

Metabolic dysfunction drives substantial morbidity, mortality, and health burden across type 2 diabetes (T2D), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and heart failure (HF), yet screening and treatment remain suboptimal. With rising prevalence and persistent residual risk, clinicians need timely, practical education to improve early recognition and confidently apply evidence-based therapies—especially non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (nsMRAs)—for these complex, interrelated conditions.

Join expert faculty for a dynamic Test-and-Teach symposium that brings real-world cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) cases to life while clarifying when and how to use nsMRAs across heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), CKD in T2D, and emerging type 1 diabetes (T1D) evidence. Strengthen your diagnostic skills, treatment confidence, and shared decision-making approaches to optimize outcomes for high-risk patients.

Speakers:

Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA
Distinguished Professor of Medicine
University of Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Maxwell A. and Gayle H. Clampitt Endowed Chair
President and Chief Research Executive
Baylor Scott and White Research Institute
Senior Vice President
Baylor Scott and White Health
Dallas, Texas

Vanessa Blumer, MD
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Associate Director, Heart Failure Research
Medical Co-Director, Heart Failure Outreach
Inova Schar Heart and Vascular
Falls Church, Virginia

Jennifer Green, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Endocrinology, Duke Clinical Research Institute
Duke University School of Medicine
Durham, North Carolina

Saturday, March 28 – Evening Events

4506. HCM Headlines Game-Changing Advances in Treatment
5:30 – 7 p.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom A & B, 1st Floor
Sponsored by Cytokinetics

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains underrecognized, often mimicking more common cardiovascular conditions and leading to delays in diagnosis and gaps in care. Join our panel of experts for a news-style symposium to get high-impact updates on the latest advances in identifying HCM and the emerging evidence on cardiac myosin inhibition (CMI) therapy to optimize individualized treatment. Join us to stay ahead of the headline, and elevate your ability to deliver precise, patient-centered HCM care!

Speakers:

Ahmad Masri, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Cardiomyopathy Section Head
Director, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center
Director, Cardiac Amyloidosis Program
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, Oregon

Amy B. Marzolf, CRNP, MSN
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Penn Heart and Vascular Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nosheen Reza, MD, MS, FACC, FHFSA
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Penn Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease
Section of Advanced Heart Failure, Transplantation, and Mechanical Support
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

4504. From Bench to Bedside: RNAi Therapeutics in Cardiovascular Diseases
6 – 8 p.m.
New Orleans Marriott, Acadia Ballroom
Sponsored by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

This ACC 2026 symposium will highlight how Nobel Prize–winning RNA interference (RNAi) has progressed from foundational science to a clinically validated therapeutic modality in cardiovascular disease. Led by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, the program will connect RNAi platform innovation to clinical and translational insights. Attendees will gain insights into:

• RNAi platform fundamentals – mechanism of action, delivery technologies, and organ-specific targeting
• RNAi in cardiovascular disease – a focused deep dive into ATTR-CM, including disease biology, rationale for TTR silencing, and emerging evidence from HELIOS-B
• Translational applications beyond rare disease – including RNAi investigation in hypertension
• Future directions in RNAi innovation – next-generation platforms, delivery technologies, and early pipeline programs aiming to shape the future of cardiovascular care

Speakers:

Kirk Brown
VP, Research
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Farooq Sheikh, MD, FACC
Medical Director
Advanced Heart Failure Program
MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute
Associate Professor of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine

4505. Grooving Through Lipid Management: A New Rhythm in ASCVD Risk Reduction
5:30 p.m. – Midnight
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom C, 1st Floor
Sponsored by Clinical Care Options, LLC dba Decera Clinical Education. Supported by an educational grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

This program will equip healthcare professionals to elevate ASCVD prevention through interactive, case-based learning focused on today's most challenging lipid-management gaps. Faculty will guide participants in integrating lipoprotein(a) testing into routine cardiovascular risk assessment, recognizing its role as an independent and under-addressed driver of ASCVD. Through brief lectures paired with interactive discussions, attendees will apply current guideline recommendations to develop individualized lipid-lowering strategies, including nonstatin and combination therapies. The session will also address clinical inertia and patient-centered barriers, empowering clinicians to implement guideline-directed care that improves real-world outcomes.

Speakers:

Ty J. Gluckman, MD, MHA, FACC, FAHA, FASPC
Medical Director
Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research, and Data Science (CARDS)
Providence Heart Institute
Providence Health System

Viet Le, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, FACC, FAHA, HF-Cert
Associate Professor of Research, Preventive Cardiology PA
Intermountain Advanced Lipid and Cardiovascular Prevention Clinic
Intermountain Health

Erin Michos, MD, MHS, FAHA, FACC, FASE, FASPC
Professor of Medicine
Director of Women's Cardiovascular Health
Associate Director of Preventive Cardiology
Core Faculty, Advanced Lipid Clinic
Division of Cardiology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Pam R. Taub, MD, FACC, FASPC
Step Family Director's Endowed Chair
Director of Preventive Cardiology
Director of Step Family Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Wellness Center
Professor of Medicine
UC San Diego Health System

Sunday, March 29 – Morning Events

4507. New Pathways in Antithrombotic Therapy
6:30 – 8 a.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom A & B
Sponsored by an educational grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Alliance.

Thromboembolic disease is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths throughout the world. Though currently available anticoagulants can significantly reduce the risk of thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), venous thromboembolism (VTE), stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions, they are often underutilized in eligible patients or utilized inappropriately primarily due to safety concerns, leading to suboptimal patient outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that factor XI is a promising new target for inhibition of pathological thrombosis with minimal impairment to physiological hemostasis, paving the way toward a safer anticoagulation strategy. Through immersive patient journeys and expert commentary, this symposium will empower learners to make individualized, evidence-based decisions and be prepared for the integration of novel anticoagulants into clinical practice.

Speakers:

Geoffrey D. Barnes, MD, MSc
Associate Professor
Cardiovascular and Vascular Medicine
Frankel Cardiovascular Center
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Carolyn S. P. Lam, MBBS, PhD
Senior Consultant Cardiologist, National Heart Centre
Professor, Duke-National University of Singapore
Singapore, Singapore

Christian T. Ruff, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Director of General Cardiology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Senior Investigator, TIMI Study Group
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

4508. Cardiac Myosin Inhibition in the Real World: What Have We Learned From Long-Term Experience in Obstructive HCM?
7 – 8 a.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom D
Sponsored by The Mended Hearts

Obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) affects up to 1 in 200 individuals and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with the general population. Historically, treatment has focused on pharmacologic and surgical interventions that alleviate symptoms. The introduction of cardiac myosin inhibitors (CMIs) represented a major advance by targeting the pathophysiology of oHCM. Long-term and real-world evidence are accumulating, confirming that CMIs improve symptoms, exercise capacity, and functional status in oHCM while also reducing the need for septal reduction therapy (SRT). Importantly, these benefits have been observed across diverse patient populations, including groups historically underdiagnosed or underrepresented in HCM research (eg, Black individuals, women), supporting the broad applicability of disease-modifying therapy in oHCM management.

The availability of CMIs has introduced new complexities in clinical decision-making. Cardiologists and other oHCM care team members must now navigate evolving guideline recommendations, interpret rapidly emerging clinical and real-world data, and integrate expanded indications and updated risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) into care. They must also differentiate between therapies that target the underlying disease mechanism from those that only provide symptomatic relief, ensuring treatment selection is personalized, evidence-based, and reflective of patient preferences. Effective team collaboration—among general and subspecialty cardiologists, NPs, PAs, and others—is essential to the safe implementation of CMIs to improve patient outcomes and ensure equitable access to care.

Speakers:

Milind Desai, MD, MBA
Haslam Family Endowed Chair in CV Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Vice Chair and Director, HCM Center
Heart Vascular Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, Ohio

Anjali Tiku Owens, MD
Director, Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease
Section of Heart Failure
Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

4509. Revolutionizing Recurrent AMI Care: Addressing Unmet Needs With Early Intervention Strategies
7 – 8 a.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Salon B, 1st Floor
Sponsored by Viatris

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers from acute myocardial infarction (AMI), requiring emergency care. The delay from symptom onset to initiation of therapy to reduce the total ischemic time after AMI has not improved in decades. Prolonged ischemic time is strongly associated with poor prognosis after AMI, due to increased myocardial damage and higher risk for death and heart failure. This prolonged time frame underscores the urgent need for strategies that can reduce ischemic time and improve patient outcomes by addressing barriers to timely intervention. In this fast-paced symposium, experts will discuss limitations in current care pathways for recurrent AMI, the rationale for pre-hospital antiplatelet therapies, and the evolving clinical landscape of early interventions.

Speakers:

Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA
Director of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital
Dr. Valentin Fuster Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, United States

Jennifer A. Rymer, MD, MBA
Associate Professor of Medicine
Duke Clinical Research Institute
Program Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States

Professor Philippe G. Steg, MD
Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Université Paris-Cité
UMR 1148/LVTS
French Alliance for Cardiovascular Trials
Paris, France

Sunday, March 29 – Evening Events

4510. The Precision Imperative: Integrating AI-Plaque Analysis to Personalize Cardiovascular Risk and Management
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd
Sponsored by Heartflow

After participating in this program, attendees will be able to:

• Recognize the growing clinical imperative to evolve cardiovascular risk assessment, as new tools, reimbursement pathways, and scientific evidence converge
• Describe how Heartflow Plaque Analysis informs risk assessment and management strategies for patients with coronary artery disease
• Identify patient populations best suited for Heartflow Plaque Analysis, including those who may benefit from earlier personalized proactive intervention

Speakers:

Nihar Desai, MD (Moderator)
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT

Ron Blankstein, MD
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, MA

Sarah Rinehart, MD
Charleston Area Medical Center

4511. Emerging Data and Evolving Guidelines, A Patient-Centered Approach to Evidence-Based Treatment For Aortic Stenosis
6:30 – 8 p.m.
New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District, Gravier Ballroom, First Floor
Sponsored by Edwards Lifesciences

This symposium features a roundtable panel discussion among front-line researchers regarding the latest clinical trials and registry data in the management of aortic stenosis (AS). The expert faculty will discuss two patient case scenarios that illustrate how patient pathways are changing to achieve optimal outcomes in this challenging patient population.

Speakers:

Sreekanth Vemulapalli, MD (Moderator)
Associate Professor of Medicine with Tenure
Director of Cardiovascular Imaging, DUHS
Duke Clinical Research Institute
Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy
Durham, NC

Kashish Goel, MD, FSCAI, FACC
Director, Transcatheter Valve Interventions
Associate Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN

Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD
Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery
Division Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Washington University School of Medicine
Co-Director, Heart and Vascular Center
Barnes Jewish Hospital
St. Louis, MO

Brian R. Lindman, MD, MSc
Medical Director, Structural Heart and Valve Center
Associate Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN

4512. Shifting Gears in Cardio-Renal-Metabolic Care: Harnessing Evidenced-Based Therapies to Optimize Patient Outcomes
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom C, 1st Floor
Sponsored by Clinical Care Options, LLC dba Decera Clinical Education. Supported by an independent medical educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company.

Cardiology healthcare professionals (HCPs) are crucial in the proper use of evidence-based therapies for patients with cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) diseases. Clinical inertia continues to limit optimal care delivery for patients with CRM diseases. This program addresses hesitancy among cardiology HCPs and patients to initiate or continue guideline-directed medical therapy.

Speakers:

Stephen J. Greene, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Duke Clinical Research Institute
Duke University School of Medicine
Durham, NC

Ty J. Gluckman, MD, MHA
Medical Director, Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research, and Data Science
Providence Heart Institute
Providence Health System
Portland, OR