On Nov. 16-18, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center physicians will join experts from around the globe to present the latest cutting-edge research in heart, kidney and metabolic health at the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions, the largest cardiovascular conference in the country.

Fittingly, AHA 2024 will be hosted in Chicago, the city where the organization was founded 100 years ago to serve as a professional society for doctors to discover more about heart and other circulatory diseases. The event will serve as a centennial celebration honoring AHA members' remarkable century of progress advancing heart health.

As in years past, several Houston Methodist faculty members have been invited to share their expertise on a variety of topics ranging from social, environmental and public health research to the prevention and management of heart failure to novel cardiac ablation techniques.

On Saturday, Nov. 16, Dr. Khurram Nasir, chief of Cardiovascular Prevention & Wellness, will speak on social barriers affecting cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic (CKM) health during the 3:15-4:30 p.m. session entitled "Personalizing CV Risk: The Science of CKM Risk Enhancers."

On Sunday, Nov. 17, Dr. Miguel Valderrabano, chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology, will present on coronary venous ethanol ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation as part of the 8-9:15 a.m. session entitled "Looking to the Future: Case-Based Examples of Novel Ablation Techniques and Technologies at Work."

Also on Sunday morning, Dr. Roshni Mandania will deliver a case presentation on managing obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in Type 2 diabetes during the 8-9:15 a.m. session "Optimizing CKM Management in Type 2 Diabetes: A Practical, Case-Based Discussion with Experts."

On Sunday afternoon, Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi will address global climate change's impact on cardiovascular health during the 3:30-4:45 p.m. session entitled "The Risk That is All Around You: Environmental Exposures and Cardiovascular Disease."

Dr. Kershaw Patel will be featured in two sessions this year at AHA 2024. On Sunday afternoon, he will present on changing trends in cardiovascular complications in diabetes as part of the 3:30-4:45 session, "The Evolving Landscape of Diabetes and CV Outcomes."

On Monday, Nov. 18, Dr. Patel will return as part of the 9:45-11 a.m. session, "Hot Debates in Heart Failure," where he will argue that preventing stage C heart failure begins in stage B.