AHA Scientific Sessions 2022 – A Backstage View

By Amit Khera, M.D., M.Sc.

Professor of Internal Medicine
Director, Preventive Cardiology

#AHA22 will be remembered for the science and the interpersonal connections. As Vice Chair of the Committee on Scientific Sessions Programming, it was rewarding for me to see the culmination of hard work over this past year by so many thought leaders and AHA staff. There were more than 4,000 scientific abstracts presented and 700 sessions convened at the meeting, whose content covered the spectrum of basic, clinical, and population science. Numerous UT Southwestern faculty and fellows participated in abstract presentations, in session moderation, and as invited presenters discussing the latest scientific breakthroughs. Of course, the Late-Breaking Science sessions garnered the most attention. This year, there was a 40% increase in Late-Breaking submissions, resulting in a record nine sessions inclusive of 35 trials. These studies have immediate impact on clinical practice. For example, the TRANSFORM-HF trial provides flexibility for diuretic use in patients with heart failure, the PROMINENT trial will likely end the use of fibrates for cardiovascular risk reduction, and the EMPA-KIDNEY trial expands the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in those with chronic kidney disease. #AHA22 also offered new clinical sessions, including an exciting collaboration between the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference and AHA for interventional case and health technology programming, as well as a greatly expanded category for clinical case abstracts.

Equally memorable to the science was the excitement generated by holding the first in-person AHA Scientific Sessions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees were again engaging with colleagues from around the country, fellows again were networking in the FIT lounge, and emerging scientists again were fostering research collaborations with senior investigators from around the world. UT Southwestern also resumed its annual Cardiology Division night out, bringing together our current and former fellows and faculty for a reunion and discussion about developments from the meeting. Following the success of #AHA22, we have much momentum for next year’s meeting, #AHA23, for which I will serve as Chair of the Committee on Scientific Sessions Programming. I welcome your feedback on #AHA22 and hope to see you in Philadelphia next year!

Email: amit.khera@utsouthwestern.edu

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