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The Cardiovascular CME podcast is a free educational offering from Mayo Clinic, featuring content geared towards physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who are interested in exploring a multitude of cardiology-related topics. Tune in and subscribe to explore today’s most pressing cardiology topics with your colleagues at Mayo Clinic and gain valuable insights that can be directly applied to your practice. No CME credit offered for podcast episodes at this time.
Episodes

Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
The Role of High-Intensity Interval Training and Strength Training in Cardiovascular Health
Guest: Amanda R. Bonikowske, Ph.D.
Host: Stephen L. Kopecky, M.D. (@DrSteveKopecky)
The primary advantage of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) — periods of higher intensity exercise followed by periods of lower intensity exercise in repetition — for cardiorespiratory fitness is peak VO2. HIIT is a more potent stimulus for increasing peak VO2 in a much shorter period of time compared with moderate-intensity continuous training.
Joining us today to discuss HIIT is Amanda R. Bonikowske, Ph.D., program director for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Specific topics discussed:
- HIIT explained
- Variability, guidelines and rest-to-work ratios
- Benefits over moderate-intensity training
- The One-Minute Workout
- Physiology of HIIT
- Impact on HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure
- Safety
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast episode transcript found here.

Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Cardiovascular Toxicity and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Cardiovascular Toxicity and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Guest: Joerg Herrmann, M.D. (@mayocvonc)
Host: Malcolm R. Bell, M.D.
Immune checkpoints are integral to the immune system, ensuring that there is no overactivation once an immune response is triggered. Seven immune checkpoint inhibitors — which interfere with that natural brake in the immune system — are currently approved for use in cancer treatment. The immune checkpoint inhibitors unleash T cells to attack a tumor, with dramatic results.
Joining us today to discuss immune checkpoint inhibitors and cardiovascular toxicity is Joerg Herrmann, M.D., director of the Cardio-Oncology Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Specific topics discussed:
- Explanation and applications of immune checkpoint inhibitors
- Types of malignancies treated with T cell-based therapies and their outcomes
- Related cardiac toxicities and how to diagnose them
- Evaluation in the outpatient setting
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast episode transcript found here.

Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Biological Age and Other AI Tools in Preventive Cardiology
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Biological Age and Other AI Tools in Preventive Cardiology
Guest: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., M.B.A. (@CVDprevention)
Host: Stephen L. Kopecky, M.D. (@DrSteveKopecky)
Vascular age is impacted by factors that determine the aging of the vascular system — the heart, arteries and veins. These factors might predispose people to develop heart attacks, peripheral vascular disease or strokes.
Joining us today to discuss efforts to better describe and measure vascular age is Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., M.B.A., chair of Preventive Cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Specific topics discussed:
- The concept of vascular age explained
- Use of electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine vascular age
- Recommendations to reduce or reverse patients' vascular age
- Use of ECG to identify conditions it was not originally intended to identify
- Future impact of artificial intelligence in medicine
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast episode transcript found here.

Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Cardiac Involvement in COVID-19
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Cardiac Involvement in COVID-19
Guest: Patricia A. Pellikka, M.D. (@pattypellikka)
Host: Paul A. Friedman, M.D. (@drpaulfriedman)
Early reports from Wuhan, China, noted that patients with underlying cardiovascular disease had a higher risk of morbidity and mortality if they contracted the COVID-19 virus. More recently, data support that patients with evidence of cardiac disease during their COVID-19 episodes also have higher rates of morbidity and mortality during hospitalization for treatment of COVID-19.
Joining us today to discuss the cardiac involvement in patients with COVID-19 is Patricia A. Pellikka, M.D., vice chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Specific topics discussed:
- Significance of cardiac involvement in patients with COVID-19
- Diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction in patients with COVID-19
- Myocarditis and other cardiac injury in patients with COVID-19
- Implications of MRI-identified myocarditis
- COVID-19 long-haulers and cardiac evaluation
- Artificial intelligence in electrocardiogram or echocardiogram
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast episode transcript here.

Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
The Patient with Early Atherosclerotic Disease-What to Do, What Not to Do
Guest: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., M.B.A. (@CVDprevention)
Host: Stephen L. Kopecky, M.D. (@DrSteveKopecky)
Many people have a family history of atherosclerotic disease — heart attacks, strokes or blockages in the body's arteries caused by cholesterol plaques. If atherosclerosis occurs at an early age or affects multiple family members, or if the family history includes sudden death, there is cause for concern.
Joining us today to discuss family history of early atherosclerotic disease and its impact on cardiovascular health is Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., M.B.A., chair of Preventive Cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Specific topics discussed:
- Concerns generated by a family history of atherosclerosis
- Genetic markers for atherosclerotic disease
- Impact of genes vs. lifestyle on the likelihood of atherosclerosis
- When and how to conduct genetic testing
- Treatment for peripheral arterial disease and cerebrovascular disease
- What not to do for patients with atherosclerosis
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast transcript available here.

Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Is Red Meat Bad For Your Heart?
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Is red meat bad for your heart?
Guest: Stephen L. Kopecky, M.D. (@DrSteveKopecky)
Host: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., M.B.A. (@CVDprevention)
The U.S. has some of the highest red meat consumption per capita of any country in the world. A controversial 2019 Annals of Internal Medicine article encouraged red meat consumption and came to the conclusion that people do not need to reduce red meat intake, but the recommendation isn't as straightforward as it seems.
Joining us today to discuss research on red meat consumption and its impact on cardiovascular health is Stephen L. Kopecky, M.D., a consultant in Preventive Cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
Specific topics discussed:
- Key points from the 2019 Annals of Internal Medicine article
- Unprocessed and processed meats and their impact on cardiovascular health
- Red meat consumption study limitations and implications
- Saturated vs. unsaturated fats and their relation to dietary variables
- Recommendation: moderation (3 ounces a day)
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Episode transcript found here.

Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Pregnancy-Related and Other Women Specific Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Pregnancy-Related and Other Women Specific Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Guest: Rekha Mankad, M.D. (@RMankadMD)
Host: Stephen L. Kopecky, M.D. (@DrSteveKopecky)
Data supports that women's risk of heart disease has been underrecognized — women are dying of heart disease at increasingly higher rates. Women have the same regular risk factors as men, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking, but there are some additional female-specific risk factors.
Joining us today to discuss pregnancy and cardiovascular risk is Rekha Mankad, M.D., a noninvasive cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with special interest in heart disease in women.
Specific topics discussed:
- Guidelines that address women's risk factors for heart disease
- Complications related to menopause and pregnancy
- Impact of diabetes on heart disease in women
- Preventive screening and risk assessment
- Autoimmune diseases and heart disease in women
- Impact of marriage on women's risk of heart disease
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast transcript can be found here.

Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Atrial Fibrillation and Underestimation of Aortic Stenosis Severity
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Atrial Fibrillation and Underestimation of Aortic Stenosis Severity
Guest: Vuyisile T. Nkomo, M.D., M.P.H.
Host: Malcolm R. Bell, M.D.
Aortic valve stenosis is common in the general population. Echocardiography is the primary tool used for assessing the severity of the disease. In patients with atrial fibrillation, however, Doppler echocardiography may underestimate the severity of aortic valve stenosis, resulting in the potential for grave consequences.
Joining us today to discuss optimal diagnoses of the severity of aortic valve stenosis in patients with atrial fibrillation is Vuyisile T. Nkomo, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of medicine with joint appointments in the Structural Heart Disease Program and Division of Cardiovascular Ultrasound at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Specific topics discussed:
- Echocardiogram Doppler criteria for diagnosing the severity of aortic valve stenosis
- Hierarchy in the guidelines for diagnosis
- Aortic valve stenosis in patients with atrial fibrillation, normal sinus rhythm, or both
- Arrhythmia's impact on Doppler signals
- Next steps when aortic valve stenosis is suspected — and the implications of underestimating disease severity
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast episode transcript here.

Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Cardiac Sarcoidosis - Who To Suspect and How to Diagnose
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Cardiac sarcoidosis — When to Suspect and How to Diagnose
Guest: Omar F. Abou Ezzeddine, M.D., C.M., M.S. (@abouezzeddine)
Host: Paul A. Friedman, M.D. (@DrPaulFriedman)
Cardiac sarcoidosis is difficult to diagnose. It may present with no symptoms and a coincidental ECG finding or with symptoms that are common to most people, such as fatigue and occasional palpitations. Patients may present with minimal clinical cardiac symptoms. Multimodality imaging, in conjunction with clinical history, is required for diagnosis; other, more common diseases should be ruled out before diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis.
Joining us today to discuss cardiac sarcoidosis is Omar F. Abou Ezzeddine, M.D., C.M., M.S., director of the Cardiac Sarcoidosis Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a cardiologist with expertise in nuclear imaging.
Specific topics discussed:
- Sarcoidosis and cardiac sarcoid defined
- When to suspect sarcoidosis
- Symptoms and the diagnostic cascade for sarcoid
- FDG-PET, MRI and hybrid PET-MRI
- Treatment options
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast transcript can be found here.

Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
The Future of Cardiac Rehabilitation
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
The Future of Cardiac Rehabilitation
Guest: Randal J. Thomas, M.D. (@DrRandalThomas)
Host: Stephen L. Kopecky, M.D. (@DrSteveKopecky)
Cardiac rehabilitation is a Class 1 recommendation for a number of cardiovascular conditions. The benefits are many — and evidence is mounting that supports improved short- and long-term outcomes for patients, whether they participate in center-based or home-based cardiac rehabilitation programs.
Joining us today to discuss the current benefits and challenges of cardiovascular rehabilitation is Randal J. Thomas, M.D., director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Specific topics discussed:
- Benefits and challenges of cardiac rehabilitation program participation
- Systematic approaches that improve participation rates
- Provider and patient education required
- Emerging solutions including personalized, home-based programs
Connect with Mayo Clinic's Cardiovascular Continuing Medical Education online at https://cveducation.mayo.edu or on Twitter @MayoClinicCV.
No CME credit offered for this episode.
Podcast transcript can be found here.