Forward-Looking Science

By Thomas J. Wang, M.D. 

Chair and Professor of Department of Internal Medicine

UT Southwestern’s Cardiology Division continued its proud tradition in 2023 by making a significant impact at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, held in November in Philadelphia. With 64 poster sessions, nine seminars, and two main event sessions among our many contributions, UT Southwestern’s clinicians, fellows, and scientists exemplified the culture of dynamic discovery that has made the annual AHA Sessions one of the must-see events in medicine.

In particular, UTSW’s participation in several Late-Breaking Science sessions stand out because the findings could have a far-reaching impact on cardiology and preventive care:

• SELECT trial: UTSW’s Ildiko Lingvay, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.C.S., co-authored this research, which found that semaglutide helped reduce heart attack and stroke risk by 20% in patients with CVD, overweightness, or obesity, regardless of their diabetes status.
• DAPA-MI: UTSW’s Darren McGuire, M.D., M.H.Sc., and an international team of co-authors found that treatment with dapagliflozin yielded significant cardiometabolic benefits in patients without prior diabetes or chronic heart failure who presented with acute MI and impaired left ventricular systolic function.
• Effect of Dietary Sodium on Blood Pressure: A Randomized Order Crossover Trial: My co-investigators and I demonstrated that reducing dietary sodium intake significantly lowered blood pressure in most middle-age to elderly adults, regardless of hypertension status and blood pressure medication use.

Such impactful research has helped make our cardiology program one of the top 20 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. We are most fortunate to have faculty who have leading roles in shaping the direction of cardiology nationwide. One great example is Amit Khera, M.D., M.Sc., who not only chaired the #AHA23 Programming Committee but is former President of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology. Others include Drs. Joseph Hill (Editor-in-Chief of Circulation), Joshua Beckman (Chair of the AHA/ACC Guidelines Committee), Mark Drazner (past President of HFSA), Jose Joglar (Chair of the recent AHA/ACC Atrial Fibrillation Guideline Writing Committee), Ann Marie Navar (Associate Editor of JAMA Cardiology), Eric Peterson (Chair of the AHA Center for Health Technology and Innovation), and our new Chief of Cardiology, James de Lemos (Executive Editor of Circulation and PI for AHA’s COVID-19 CVD Registry). This special issue of Physician Update showcases just some of the work presented at #AHA23 by these and many of our other faculty and trainees.

At UT Southwestern, we are dedicated to providing the most advanced cardiology care for all our patients and to sharing our knowledge, expertise, and scientific discoveries across the spectrum of cardiovascular diseases. We welcome your inquiries, your referrals, and your valued partnership.

I hope you enjoy reading the reports that follow.