Advertise on podcast: JACC Author Interviews

How much of the coronary calcium seen on CT is real, and how much is image artifact? In this episode of Behind the Science, Adith Arun sits down with Dr. Doosup Shin to discuss their JACC study, "Photon-Counting Detector CT Reduces Calcium Overestimation Compared with Energy-Integrating Detector CT: Micro-CT Validation in Cadaveric Arteries." Using cadaveric coronary arteries and high-resolution micro-CT as the ground truth, the investigators compared next-generation photon-counting CT (PCCT) with conventional energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT). Their findings show that PCCT substantially reduces calcium blooming artifact and decreases calcium overestimation, providing a more accurate representation of coronary calcification morphology. This conversation highlights how photon-counting CT may transform the evaluation of coronary artery disease by delivering sharper images, more accurate plaque characterization, and improved clinical decision-making. #PhotonCountingCT #CardiacCT #CoronaryCalciumImaging #CCTA #CoronaryArteryDisease #CalciumScoring #CardiovascularImaging #JACC

How much cardiovascular risk is hidden in the scans we already perform every day? In this episode of Behind the Science, we explore groundbreaking research on imaging-derived sarcopenic obesity and its relationship to heart failure, cardiovascular death, and overall mortality. The discussion highlights how routine cardiac MRI can provide novel insights into muscle health, risk stratification, and the biological pathways linking obesity, aging, and cardiovascular disease. Join us as we examine how imaging, genomics, and transcriptomics come together to identify individuals at higher cardiovascular risk, uncover shared mechanisms between muscle loss and heart failure, and reveal new opportunities for precision cardiology.

In this episode of Behind the Science, Dr. Yogesh Reddy joins to explore how sotatercept improves outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and why its effects go beyond traditional vasodilation. Using detailed invasive hemodynamic testing, exercise protocols, and skeletal muscle assessment, the study highlights key mechanisms, including reductions in pulmonary vascular resistance, improved right ventricular efficiency, increased hemoglobin, and enhanced oxygen extraction at the muscle level. These findings provide new insight into sotatercept's multi-system effects and help explain the significant improvements in exercise capacity seen in clinical trials—offering important implications for future PAH therapies. #Cardiology #PulmonaryHypertension #PAH #Sotatercept #ACC #JACC #MedicalResearch #HeartHealth

In this episode of Behind the Science, we sit down with Dr Yao to discuss the recent JACC publication, "The Prognostic Value of Serum Interleukin-6 Concentrations for 9 Cardiovascular and Mortality Outcomes: The Cross Cohort Collaboration (CCC)." The discussion explores the growing role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a key inflammatory biomarker in cardiovascular disease and its potential value beyond traditional markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Drawing on data from more than 320,000 participants across multiple community-based cohorts, the study examined associations between IL-6 and nine major cardiovascular and mortality outcomes, including myocardial infarction, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. #JACC #Cardiology #IL6 #Inflammation #CardiovascularDisease #HeartFailure #Prevention #Biomarkers #ClinicalResearch #BehindTheScience

In this episode of Behind the Science, Adith Arun is joined by Drs. Rahul Mahajan and Shaan Khurshid to discuss their recent JACC study on using artificial intelligence–enabled electrocardiograms (ECGs) to predict long-term stroke risk. Drawing on data from over 200,000 patients, the team demonstrates how a single 12‑lead ECG can be leveraged to stratify stroke risk over 1-, 5-, and 10-year time horizons, achieving performance comparable to established clinical risk scores such as the Framingham Risk Score. The conversation explores key findings, including the model's association with cardioembolic stroke, insights from ECG signal interpretation (notably P‑wave features), and the potential role of ECG-based AI as both a scalable clinical tool and a novel biomarker for atrial cardiomyopathy. Tune in to learn how emerging AI technologies may transform stroke prevention, risk stratification, and future cardiovascular research. #Cardiology #StrokePrevention #ECG #ArtificialIntelligence #MedicalResearch #ACC #JACC

In this episode of Behind the Science, host Adith Arun sits down with Dr. Evangelos Oikonomou to discuss groundbreaking research published in JACC: "Early Prediction of Heart Failure from Routine Cardiac CT Using Radiomic Phenotyping of Epicardial Fat." Dr. Oikonomou walks us through how AI-powered radiomic analysis of epicardial adipose tissue, the fat layer directly surrounding the heart, can serve as an early biomarker for heart failure risk, even in patients with no prior diagnosis. The study draws on over 60,000 coronary CT angiography cases from nine UK sites (the ORFNI consortium) to build and validate a fully automated risk scoring model. Topics covered: Why BMI falls short as a cardiovascular risk measure What epicardial fat reveals about myocardial disease How radiomics extracts hidden phenotypic features from CT images Model training, validation, and multi-site generalizability How the FRP (Fat Radiomic Profile) score is orthogonal to existing tools like PREVENT Implications for GLP-1 therapies and obesity-directed treatment eligibility The future of longitudinal monitoring and prospective enrichment studies This research represents a major step toward extracting untapped prognostic value from CT scans already being performed in clinical practice.

In this episode of Behind the Science, we explore how coronary artery calcium scoring improves cardiovascular risk assessment in patients with elevated lipoprotein(a). This multicohort study highlights how Lp(a) and CAC serve as independent predictors of ASCVD and how combining both tools enhances risk stratification in clinical practice. Learn how calcium scoring can help identify higher risk individuals, guide preventive cardiology decisions, and support personalized treatment strategies. This discussion is essential for clinicians focused on heart disease prevention, lipid disorders, and advanced cardiovascular imaging.

Listen in to JACC's perspective on our newest research, published on June 19 and featuring co-authors Adith Arun, BS, Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc. We present readers with another update in our Data Report Series, evaluating trends in excess cardiovascular mortality among Black Americans compared with White Americans from 2000 to 2024 and persistent disparities in outcomes. While modest improvements were observed in 2024 after pandemic-related increases, progress remains uneven, with heart failure mortality continuing to rise—especially among women. The overall burden remains high, with more than one million excess years of potential life lost annually and hypertension as the leading contributor. Long-term patterns show that earlier gains in reducing disparities have stalled, with current gaps resembling those seen in the mid-2010s. The findings emphasize that advances in cardiovascular care have not translated into equitable outcomes and call for sustained structural and policy interventions. #jacc #jaccjournals #jaccdatareport

Dr. Aaysha Cader, Social Media editor for JACC Interventions and Dr. Chao Gao discuss the pre-specified subgroup analysis of the REC-CAGEFREE I trial: Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty vs Drug-Eluting Stents in Noncomplex Coronary Bifurcation Lesions.

Dr. Aaysha Cader, Social Media editor for JACC Interventions and Dr. Antoinette Neylon discuss the randomised KISS trial: Side Branch Additional Treatment for Coronary Bifurcation Lesion Revascularization.

Join us for the latest Behind the Science discussion, featuring an article published in JACC's May 12 focus issue on hypertension. Adith Arun, MD, joins author William B. White, MD, as they discuss a phase 2 randomized trial of the NPR1 agonist XXB750 in patients with resistant hypertension. The interview highlights the study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 4 doses of XXB750, administered once-monthly by subcutaneous injection in 189 patients with resistant hypertension. Dose-related changes in cyclic GMP were observed, supporting target engagement of XXB750 at the NPR-1 receptor. However, there was no dose-response pattern observed with respect to change from baseline in 24-hour systolic BP after 12 weeks; none of the doses of XXB750 had a greater BP lowering effect than placebo. #jacc #jaccjournals #behindthescience

In this interview in JACC's May 12 issue focusing on hypertension, JACC Editor-in-Chief Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM, MACC speaks with first author Samantha S. O'Connell, MS, MD, as they discuss a comprehensive global analysis of hypertension trends from 2000 to 2020, drawing on data from nearly 300 population-based studies across 119 countries. The findings show that while awareness and treatment have improved modestly—especially in high-income countries—the global burden of hypertension has grown to 1.7 billion adults, with most uncontrolled cases now concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. The conversation emphasizes widening disparities, persistently low control rates, and the urgent need to implement proven strategies worldwide.

Can artificial intelligence really adjudicate heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths in clinical trials? Adith Arun sits down with Jonathan W. Cunningham to discuss cutting-edge research using AI to automate major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) adjudication—one of the most expensive and time‑consuming parts of global clinical trials. They explore how AI models review extensive medical records, assess uncertainty, and work alongside physicians in a hybrid approach that can preserve accuracy while improving efficiency and scalability in large trials.

At ACC.26, JACC Editor-in-Chief Dr. Harlan Krumholz speaks with Dr. Wayne Batchelor about the ALERT Trial, published in JACC. Their discussion explores how automated EHR-based clinician alerts can help identify patients with significant valvular heart disease who may otherwise be overlooked, improving timely referral, heart team evaluation, and valve intervention. The conversation also covers the trial's rigorous cluster-randomized design, the promise of low-cost digital interventions at scale, and important considerations around workflow integration, equity, and implementation across health systems.

In a panel at ACC.26, this video features Dr. Clyde Yancy of Northwestern University in conversation with Ambarish Pandey, Lauren Eberly, Jennifer Cluett, and Oluwabunmi Ogugngbe, exploring how social determinants of health can be studied as measurable variables in clinical research. The discussion highlights innovative trials examining "food as medicine," community-based nutrition interventions, and direct financial support for patients with cardiovascular disease. Through examples involving Indigenous, African American, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, the speakers emphasize the importance of trust, community engagement, and culturally tailored approaches. The video underscores a shift toward integrating social factors into cardiovascular science to reduce disparities and improve real-world health outcomes.