Genetics

Sunday Links from Etalon Equine Genetics – Eventing Nation

The 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention comes to a close today, and we have all been watching and waiting patiently to hear news on the many proposed rule changes, USEA Board nominees, and end-of-year award recipients.

Yesterdays schedule featured several highlight meetings, including the open forum regarding proposed rule changes and the keynote presentation by prolific animal welfare activist and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin.

Here are some numbers and statistics on and from this year-end convention!

Number of committee meetings that took place: 41 Number of educational seminars, sessions, and forums that took place: 40

Incoming Area Chairs:

New Board of Governors:

Current number of USEA members to date: 477,055 Number of active competing USEA members: 80,623 Number of USEF-licensed competitions in 2023: 2,128

USEA Governors Cup recipients: John Bourgoin, Rebecca Brown, Loris Henry, Kathy Kerns, Mark Andreason Andrew H. Popiel Memorial Trophy recipients: Lena and Mark Warner USEA Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award: Sharon Gallagher

Find all awards recipients here, as well as the USEA CEOs Report.

U.S. Weekend Action

USEA Annual Meeting and Convention (St. Louis, MO): [Information Hub] [Schedule] [Fast Facts]

Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Sunday:

EquiRatings Horse of the Year voting is on to the semi-finals! Vote here for one of the final four.

While youre at it, dont forget to send in a nomination for The One #Supergroom to Rule Them All!

Test the Best Without Hurting the Rest: Barnard and Donovan Lead Show Jumping Seminar at USEA Annual Meeting & Convention

Horse Community Controversy: The Future of Wellington

Meet Cascada: a smart auto-waterer that sends alerts to your phone

Just in time for the holidays: Hallmark Channel to release A Blacksmith for Christmas movie

Sponsor Corner: What are equine performance genetics? Etalon Equine Genetics can identify your horses strengths and weaknesses in the competition ring according to their DNA.

Morning Viewing: Everyone has their own ASMR genres dont deny it, I saw you watching those satisfying farrier videos. While my in-the-background choices lately may have included some very cool leatherworking close-ups (its also a ploy to get my husband to think its cool; homemade halters may be in my future), Horse Grooming ASMR might just be added into my playlists. All the satisfaction of watching a horse meticulously cleaned and none of the impending arthritis flares from doing it yourself? This may just bring balance to my life.

And yes, Im that girl at the barn who uses two different stiff brushes and three soft brushes before every ride. I like shiny ponies, sue me.

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Sunday Links from Etalon Equine Genetics - Eventing Nation

Genetics

Experts in Animal, Human Genetics Talk Innovation at Angus Convention – Morning Ag Clips –

From left, Kelli Retallick-Riley, AGI; Debbie Plouffe, Center for Aquaculture Technologies; and Kristin Brogaard, Inherent Biosciences, present during the second general session of the 2023 Angus Convention held in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 3-6. (Courtesy photo)

SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. Cattle producers and Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) are not the only ones thinking about advancements in genetic selection. Genetic tools and research in fields such as aquaculture and human health are also exploring ways to improve tools and industry methods.

On November 4 at Angus Convention in Orlando, FL, a panel presentation featured Kristin Brogaard, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Inherent Biosciences; Debbie Plouffe, vice president of business development for the Center for Aquaculture Technologies; and Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of AGI. The session was sponsored by Neogen.

Following the conventions theme of experiencing innovation, they discussed how genomics has transformed how people think about breeding cattle today and connections seen across their research and business fields.

In 2009, the first genomic-enhanced EPDs were released through the American Angus Association, Retallick-Riley said. Since that time, the rate of adoption and the rate of adoption by producers in this room has grown astronomically. Nearly 60% of [Association members] registrations submitted in 2023 were accompanied by genotypes.

Collectively, this amounts to 1.5 million genotypes being included in Anguss weekly genetic evaluation. Both Retallick-Riley and Plouffe agree there are several reasons the agricultural industry has seen a shift toward more genetic testing.

I think the drive towards genomic selection is really being fueled by, and agriculture is being fueled by, this desire to improve animal welfare, reduce the treatments that were doing, and therefore improve overall productivity and sustainability of the industry, Plouffe said.

Retallick-Riley said genomically enhanced EPDs present themselves as a marketing tool but are more importantly a breeding and herd management tool. She told the audience 45% of the Associations available genotypes are from females.

That tells me that the people in this room are not only committed to making sure commercial cattlemen have their individual information to select bulls but are using genomics to ensure theyre making genetic progress on the female side as well, said Retallick-Riley.

From a research perspective, studying disease resistance through genetics is of interest to all three fields beef cattle, aquaculture, and human health. Aquaculture has experienced some significant wins using genomics, especially with a particular viral disease that affects Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, and all their relatives.

Plouffe said the disease was unique and rare in that it is controlled by a single gene.

Using that information, we were able to build a genetic test that could be used to accurately predict which fish, which breeders, were going to produce animals that were resistant, she said.

The success helped aquaculture increase the technologys adoption rate for genomic testing among salmon, rainbow trout, tilapia, and more recently some shellfish species.

When it comes to human health, Brogaard said she has seen growth in her companys products, which focus on male fertility, due to how common infertility is among couples and their desire for better fertility treatment options.

One in six couples suffer from infertility, she said. There is usually two years of trying, $80,000 on average out-of-pocket (costs) to go through a single fertility journey. There are three times more divorces in couples seeking fertility care.

In a word, she described the typical fertility treatment process as awful. In response, Brogaard and her colleagues have developed a sperm test, SpermQTTMfor male fertility, which analyzes the expression of 1,233 genes in a sample. Test results help couples determine the best next steps for them.

We can now very accurately predict the likelihood of artificial insemination success, pregnancy and live birth based on how your genes are being expressed, looking at those 1,233 genes, she said.

Brogaards background is in epigenetics, which is the science where nature and nurture meet. In other words, epigenetics is influenced by the individuals environment as well as gene expression.

Whats probably the most important part of this is that those guys that we identified as having abnormal epigenetics, four out of five of them had normal semen parameters, she said. Talking to some people last night, it sounds like thats sometimes the case in this (cattle) industry where you have semen parameters, but theyre not usually predictive of fertilization outcomes. So thats interesting because we are seeing the same thing in men.

Comparing industries, Brogaard said she finds herself jealous of the volume of data and research conditions available to Retallick-Riley and Plouffe as animal genetics researchers, and she said she is excited about what epigenetics could bring to the table in their fields.

You can just move a lot quicker, Brogaard said. I think theres huge potential of identifying epigenetics that are important for [proper fertilization, embryo development with your embryo transfers and offspring health] for your industry, and Im really excited about it.

Breeders utilizing contemporary groups and submitting data, especially through Inventory Reporting, help tie phenotypic and genomic information together and move the needle on industry progress.

If we didnt have this large database, our genomic predictions wouldnt nearly be as accurate, they wouldnt be as useful, and wed be stifled by the rate of genetic change that we can make for that reason, Retallick-Riley said. Luckily for me, I get to work for an organization that allows us to be able to put out some of the most accurate genetic evaluations in the industry.

The trio also discussed how researching environmental impact on gene expression combined with traditional genetics research could help us understand more about complex diseases in animals and humans.

AGIcontinues to work on its heart health initiative for cattle and the study of more complex traits like functional longevity. Brogaard shared Inherent Biosciences is branching out and working on detection tools for male urological cancers, while Plouffe and her team work on furthering breeding strategies using genomic selections in aquaculture, including gene editing.

Plouffe said gene editing gives them more flexibility in how they can introduce some traits. Her companys view is responsible application of genome editing requires sterility, she said, so breeding for sterility has been another focus of their research.

We dont see it replacing traditional selective breeding, Plouffe said. This is just going to be another tool in the breeders toolbox that they can use to introduce traits of interest.

She continued, I think if you find the traits that are both interesting for the consumers and the producers, thats where youre going to be most successful.

For more stories from the 2023 Angus Convention, visit angus.org and view News & Announcements.

Sarah Kocher Angus Communications

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Experts in Animal, Human Genetics Talk Innovation at Angus Convention - Morning Ag Clips -

Genetics

NIH statement on new FDA-approved gene therapies for sickle cell disease – National Human Genome Research Institute

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has long invested in basic genetics and genomics research, clinical trials, as well as translational medicine and social science studies, to advance our understanding of this widespread illness to help develop effective therapies.

For example:

"NIH celebrates this enormous milestone in treatment for sickle cell disease, the first human genetic disease that was understood at the protein and DNA levels. Researchers have worked hard to find a long-term, durable therapy for sickle cell disease. Research has enabled the use of gene therapy to make genetic changes in the bone marrow of sickle cell patients, leading to normal red blood cell levels. None of this would be possible without federal investments in basic science research."

Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute

"We have made some exciting research advances over the years and are ready to collect on our scientific investments in sickle cell research. However, we must remember that these advances need to go hand-in-hand with scalable innovations that will ensure equitable access to life-altering care and that we must continue to engage in additional research endeavors that will minimize or eliminate potential risks that might be associated with these therapies."

Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

The sickle cell disease community has historically been underserved and underacknowledged when it comes to rare genetic conditions, so it is heartening to see sickle cell disease at the forefront of gene therapy. It is critical that people with sickle cell disease who are considering gene therapy fully understand the treatment so they can make an informed decision on whether it is appropriate for them. Patients need accessible, understandable and actionable educational materials to help them make such decisions, as well as support from practitioners and the healthcare system to consider these therapies.

Vence L. Bonham, Jr., J.D., Acting Deputy Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute

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NIH statement on new FDA-approved gene therapies for sickle cell disease - National Human Genome Research Institute

Cardiology

Heart attack breakthrough: New protocol saves 71% of patients with deadly complication – News-Medical.Net

Published results of a large, national heart attack study show that patients with a life-threatening complication known as cardiogenic shock survived at a significantly higher rate when treated with a protocol developed by cardiologists at Henry Ford Health, in collaboration with 80 hospitals nationwide.

Cardiogenic shock is a critical condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to sustain the body's needs, depriving vital organs of blood supply. This can cause those organs to eventually stop functioning. The typical survival rate of this deadly complication during a heart attack has historically hovered around 50%.

Led by a cardiology research team based at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (NCSI) results demonstrate a survival rate of 71% in patients whose heart attack was complicated by cardiogenic shock and were treated with the protocol. Final results from the national study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association were achieved from looking at 406 patients from hospitals across 29 states.

The National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative is the largest prospective study of therapy for severe heart attack cardiogenic shock done in the United States in the past two decades. The impressive results from our study in the U.S. have also prompted the use of our protocol in Japan where they are experiencing similar great outcomes."

William O'Neill, M.D., medical director emeritus of Henry Ford's Center for Structural Heart Disease and principal investigator of the study

The treatment algorithm, available at henryford.com/cardiogenicshock, emphasizes quick recognition of the condition, then inserting a temporary straw-sized pump into the heart to keep blood flowing throughout the body. The Impella heart pump, an FDA-approved device, is inserted through a catheter in the groin as soon as the patient arrives at the hospital. Doctors then treat the cause of the heart attack, either inserting a stent, removing a clot or taking other necessary action.

The NCSI study involved cardiologists at both community hospitals, where many patients with heart attack first present, and large academic centers. Of the more than 1,100 patients who were screened, 406 were enrolled into the study. The study also isolated predictive markers that indicate a patient's condition, an invaluable tool in determining treatment.

The NCSI participating hospitals agreed to treat patients who presented with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock using a standard protocol, which involved rapid initiation of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) with an Impella 2.5 or Impella CP heart pump, along with right heart catheterization to assess status of right and left ventricular heart function. Patients were enrolled between July 2016 and December 2020.

"The study results show remarkable survival, the highest we've seen in any study so far," said Babar Basir, D.O., Director of Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support at Henry Ford Health and principal investigator of the study. "The results show that we now have therapy that can save lives and improve outcomes for people who've had severe heart attacks and we haven't had results like these in 20 years. The protocol has already saved many lives and will continue to do so as more hospitals adopt its principles."

In the U.S., approximately 80,000 people are diagnosed with cardiogenic shock as a result from a heart attack each year according to data from a published study that looked at a 15-year trend from 2004 to 2018.

Dr. O'Neill will continue to lead research in the next NCSI phase in an upcoming study titled Recover IV Trial.

"Implementing this protocol has truly been a joint effort with hospitals that have experienced the devastating burden of cardiogenic shock," said Sarah Gorgis, M.D., a cardiologist at Henry Ford Health and co-researcher for the study. "Our work has just begun, but this protocol gives us hope since we have seen first-hand the impact it can make on survival."

"The NCSI initiative was critically important. It changed how we approach the management of patients with cardiogenic shock, and with those changes, we witnessed improvements in survival , for the first time in decades," said Herb Aronow, M.D., medical director of Heart & Vascular Services at Henry Ford Health.

"Bringing together 80 different sites to investigate an innovative treatment protocol for Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock is an incredible accomplishment by our NCSI team and heralds highly promising new approaches to improving outcomes in this challenging patient population," said Henry Kim, M.D., Division Head of Cardiology at Henry Ford Health.

Source:

Journal reference:

Basir, M. B., et al. (2023) Early Utilization of Mechanical Circulatory Support in Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock: The National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative. Journal of the American Heart Association. doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.123.031401.

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Heart attack breakthrough: New protocol saves 71% of patients with deadly complication - News-Medical.Net

Cardiology

BLOG: Combining Local Impedance with Contact Force to Perform RF Ablation – Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology

When performing radiofrequency (RF) ablation to treat cardiac arrhythmia, medical professionals must balance the safety of the patient with the efficacy of the procedure. Several important safety considerations are at play.

Physicians want to avoid mechanical perforation of the cardiac tissue, which can be caused by applying too much force in positioning the catheter. They also want to avoid unintentional damage to tissue or nontargeted structures during RF delivery.

Among the rare but serious complications associated with RF ablation are steam pops, which occur when ablated tissue is heated above 100 C, causing an explosion of steam to be released and unwanted damage to the tissue. In a worst-case scenario, a steam pop can tear a hole in the wall of the cardiac tissue allowing blood to leak into the pericardium. This can lead to cardiac tamponade, when the pressure from the blood surrounding the heart prevents it from beating.

Since the introduction of RF ablation as a cardiac arrhythmia therapy, advances have been made in the technologies and methods of delivering RF. These include the introduction of advanced mapping, multi-electrode and irrigated catheters, contact force, and the use of measures of tissue resistivity, or impedance, as a means to track RF delivery and lesion development.1

Boston Scientific offers RF ablation catheters with technology that enables capture of impedance metrics nearer the tissue to be treated. With the DIRECTSENSE Technology-enabled catheters, impedance can be measured around the tip of the catheter, avoiding the interference of far-field signals and capturing insights on cardiac tissue resistivity.

Local impedance has been demonstrated to more accurately indicate subsurface tissue temperature and lesion formation than does surface temperature. In tissue tests with embedded thermocouples, local impedance drop followed the rate and magnitude of the rise in intra-lesion temperature, demonstrating a correlation between the metric and volumetric heating as it occurs.2 Local impedance has also been found to respond with greater specificity and sensitivity in identifying abnormal substrate all valuable feedback in helping inform optimal delivery of ablation therapy.

Boston Scientific has now incorporated contact force capabilities into their DIRECTSENSE-enabled ablation catheters.

The investigational device INTELLANAV STABLEPOINT Ablation Catheter brings together the handling and inputs of contact force catheters with the ablation feedback offered by DIRECTSENSE local impedance. Available with RHYTHMIA HDx Mapping System (pictured above), the STABLEPOINT catheter is designed to help physicians verify contact, discern tissue characteristics, monitor subsurface tissue heating for predictable and controlled delivery of RF.

With the addition of force technology, the STABLEPOINT catheter can help confirm tissue contact and catheter-tip stability for the duration of RF delivery. In one study, force readings enabled two independent users to maintain a stable average force of +/- 5 grams, compared to starting force, for the full duration of >90 percent of point-by-point PVI applications.3

Using local impedance, physicians gain insights into tissue characteristics and resistivity, input that can help guide the ablation strategy. Changes in local impedance during ablation offer information on lesion development and feedback that can help safeguard against tissue overheating.

Recent studies have examined the STABLEPOINT catheters use in clinical settings. In a multicenter, prospective study conducted across Europe, Asia, and the United States, 299 patients treated for de novo atrial fibrillation (AF) underwent pulmonary vein isolation with the STABLEPOINT catheter guided by RHYTHMIA HDx Mapping System. STABLEPOINT in the NEwTON AF Study met the 30-day and 12-month primary safety endpoints as well as the acute, 6-month and 12-month primary effectiveness performance criteria for the use of the catheter in this patient population.4 At 12 months, data indicated a 4 percent incidence of adverse events. Freedom from atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia in the study group was 90.2 and 97.6 percent, respectively.4

A separate, multicenter study of 212 consecutive patients treated for AF with the STABLEPOINTcatheter assessed results across 13,891 RF applications of a 3 second duration. High-power, short-duration ablation with contact force and local impedance resulted in a 93.3 percent rate of successful first-pass isolation with no reported steam pops or major complications. Researchers also noted that the combination of local impedance drop with good contact led to a reduction in the duration of RF.5

Editor's note: This is the conclusion of a three-part series on cardiac ablation technology.Part one,Pulsed Field Ablation: A New Ablation Method,addressed pulsed field ablation; Part two, Cryoablation Gets New Tech," covers next-generation cryoballoon technology.

1. Habibi M, Berger RD, Calkins, H. Radiofrequency ablation: technological trends, challenges, and opportunities. EP Europace. 2021;23(4): 511519. doi.org/10.1093/europace/euaa328

2. Garrott KE, et al. Intra-lesion temperature rise and local impedance drop predictive of lesion growth on RF ablation catheter with mini electrodes. Abstract. Heart Rhythm Annual Meeting. May 2020.

3. Internal BSC Report 92464384.

4. NEwTON AF: Clinical Evaluation of the STABLEPOINTTM Catheter and Force Sensing System for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation. NEwTON AF Study (NCT04580914) presented at AHA, November 2023.

5. Lepillier A, Maggio R, De Sanctis V, et al. Insight into contact force local impedance technology for predicting effective pulmonary vein isolation. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10. doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1169037

Caution: Investigational device. Limited by Federal (or U.S.) law to investigational use only. Not available for sale. 2023 Boston Scientific Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EP-1755903-AA

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BLOG: Combining Local Impedance with Contact Force to Perform RF Ablation - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology

Cardiology

Michelle Bloom, MD, Named System Director of Cardio-Oncology at NYU Langone Health – NYU Langone Health

A renowned expert in cardio-oncology and heart failure, Michelle Bloom, MD, has joined NYU Langone Health as system director of the Cardio-Oncology Program, which provides specialized care to protect patients heart health throughout cancer treatment and survivorship.

Dr. Bloom is a professor in the Department of Medicine and a member of the Division of Cardiology at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. She has a secondary appointment as clinical professor in the Department of Medicine and is a member of the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Before joining the institution December 1, she was at Stony Brook University Hospital, where she served as co-director of the Cardio-Oncology Program, director of outpatient services for the Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center, and associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Stony Brook School of Medicine.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Bloom to NYU Langone Heart, where she will provide valuable expertise as we expand our cardio-oncology program, said Glenn I. Fishman, MD, the William Goldring Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine and director of the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. Her experience as a clinician, educator, and researcher will further enhance the NYU Langone community. We look forward to a phase of significant clinical and academic advancement under her leadership in our program.

As a well-recognized and accomplished heart failure specialist, Dr. Bloom will also continue a robust heart failure practice at several NYU Langone locations on Long Island, including NYU Langone Cardiology AssociatesMineola.

As a specialist in the field of cardio-oncology, Dr. Bloom focuses on early prevention, detection, treatment, and management of the potential cardiac effects of cancer treatments, so that patients can safely continue their therapies. She will lead the system-wide program, which unites cardiologists, oncologists, immunologists, and researchers from both NYU Langone Heart and NYU Langones Perlmutter Cancer Center to coordinate personalized cardiac care designed with our patients with cancer in mind. Dr. Bloom and the team also offer specialized treatment to cancer survivors so that their risk of cardiovascular disease can be recognized early and minimized. Dr. Bloom has been a pioneer in the field, publishing in peer-reviewed journals on how to best provide cardio-oncology care.

I take care of people for years beyond their cancer treatment and cherish these relationships, loving my patients like they are my own family, said Dr. Bloom. After spending more than a decade managing the heart health of thousands of patients on Long Island, Im honored to join the NYU Langone community, where theres a strong culture of innovation and patient-centeredness. With the dedication of our team, I know we can make further significant advancements in the field that will result in improved outcomes for our patients.

We are very fortunate to have Dr. Bloom, with her background and expertise, join our faculty and patient care operations, said Joseph J. Greco, MD, senior vice president and chief of hospital operations at NYU Langone HospitalLong Island. The combination of her personal experiences and training translates to exceptional, personalized patient care for our Long Island community and beyond.

An alumna of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dr. Bloom completed her residency in internal medicine at Montefiore Medical Center. She went on to complete a fellowship in cardiology and advanced training in heart failure, mechanical device support, and cardiac transplant at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai before joining the faculty at Stony Brook in 2011.

Katie Ullman Phone: 646-483-3984 Kathryn.Ullman@NYULangone.org

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Michelle Bloom, MD, Named System Director of Cardio-Oncology at NYU Langone Health - NYU Langone Health

Cardiology

Saint Mary’s sues Renown Health again over alleged cardiology monopoly – Reno Gazette Journal

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Saint Mary's sues Renown Health again over alleged cardiology monopoly - Reno Gazette Journal

Cardiology

Northwest Health La Porte Among Nation’s Top Performing Hospitals for Treatment of Heart Attack Patients – NWI.Life

Northwest Health La Porte has received the American College of Cardiologys NCDR Chest Pain- MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2023. This is the highest honor awarded by the American College of Cardiology for the treatment of heart attack patients and Northwest Health La Porte is one of only 262 hospitals nationwide, and the only hospital in Northwest Indiana to receive the honor.

This achievement is due to the expertise of the cardiologists, emergency room physicians, nurses, and other caregivers on staff at the hospital, said Jami Jackson, BSN, RN, chest pain coordinator for Northwest Health La Porte. The Chest Pain - MI Registry empowers our health care team to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines. This establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for our patients with coronary artery disease.

According to the American College of Cardiology, the award recognizes Northwest Health La Portes commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that Northwest Health La Porte has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

To receive the Chest Pain-MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Northwest Health La Porte has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain- MI Registry for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.

It is an honor to award Northwest Health La Porte with the Platinum Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care, said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. The receipt of this award indicates that Northwest Health La Porte remains committed to providing top quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

About Northwest Health

Northwest Health is a comprehensive healthcare system committed to providing communities in Northwest Indiana with high-quality, accessible healthcarefrom highly specialized care and surgical services to more routine primary care. The system of more than 60 access points includes three hospitals, five emergency departments, urgent care centers, outpatient surgery centers, an ambulance service, and physician offices. A team of more than 3,000 employees work together with the more than 700 physicians on its medical staffs. For more information, visit NWHealthIN.com.

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 56,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

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Northwest Health La Porte Among Nation's Top Performing Hospitals for Treatment of Heart Attack Patients - NWI.Life