Read the news
magazines of the
“We need additional
research and
ultimately advances
in two arrhythmic
areas: atrial
fibrillation, a major
scourge because of
the large numbers
of patients affected;
and sudden cardiac
death, still taking
over 300,000 lives
annually.”
Some of your recent research involves using
spinal cord neuromodulation for the treatment
of heart failure. Can you tell us a bit abo ut this
and where things currently stand?
I have been interested in the autonomic nervous
system for much of my career and have published
many clinical and basic research observations in this
area. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been used
successfully for a long time in Europe to treat refractory angina in patients with non-revascularizable
coronary artery disease. Many years ago, Medtronic
asked me to study the mechanism. I remembered a
clinical observation by Sam Levine (a Brigham great
MD, in the 1950s) that carotid massage relieved angina, and I wondered whether SCS worked via that
mechanism. We showed that SCS did indeed induce
a cardiac vagomimetic and/or sympatholytic action.
We then showed SCS could prevent ischemic VF and
ultimately remodel heart failure in dogs. Medtronic
funded the clinical study: prospective, randomized,
blinded and---it was a bust! No clinical impact in
heart failure patients. Sadly, I think the concept has
died—at least for the moment.
What are some of the major advances you
anticipate in the field in the coming decade or two?
Genetics, certainly. In a recent article on induced
pluripotential stem cells from Brugada patients,
authors cured the disease in a dish by reprogrammed
the genetic abnormality. A long way from clinical
ACC.org/CSWN
American
College of
Cardiology
application, but it will happen in your lifetime.
We need additional research and ultimately advances
in two arrhythmic areas: atrial fibrillation, a major
scourge because of the large number of patients
affected; and sudden cardiac death, still taking over
300,000 lives annually in the US.
You recently started a new chapter in your life
as a novelist. Can you tell us about some of your
latest works?
In the twilight of my medical career I have turned
to a new challenge: becoming a novelist. My first
venture was The Black Widows, a tale about two elderly widows living in the US heading a world-wide
terrorist organization. The hero detective has to solve
a series of apparent random murders directed by the
Black Widows.
The second novel, Ripples in Opperman’s Pond
is based on a trial and my interactions with the
lawyers, in which I was a plaintiff expert testifying
against a major drug company accused of hiding cardiovascular side effects of a new drug for arthritis. I
combined my experiences in this trial with testifying
at one other trial when I defended a colleague from
a malpractice charge, and fictionalized them into
Ripples in Opperman’s Pond. The third novel, Not Just
a Game, takes three generations of a Jewish family
and places each in an important Olympics: the father
in 1936 Berlin Olympics; the son in the 1972 Munich and the slaughter of 11 Israeli athletes; and the
grand daughter in 2016 Rio, where she has to deal
with a resurgence of Nazism while winning a gold
medal in fencing.
How do you spend your time when you’re not
providing patient care, conducting research, or
writing?
I love opera, listen to it a lot and support our local
opera company. In fact, I have an opera review!
When I was president of Indianapolis Opera (years
ago) and we needed money, my board suggested I
go on stage in between the first and second acts of
Otello and pitch an appeal to the audience. The Indy
paper the next day said, “Otello was wonderful, and
Dr. Zipes’ presentation, though tacky, was necessary.”
anywhere—in print
and online.
Threats to Cardiologist Compensation in Post-alignment Years | Advocating for Equal Treatment
CardioSource
WorldNews
vol 5, no 7 / JULY 2016
A publication of the
American College
of Cardiology
Print
EXPERT COMMENTARY
fred bove: Is AF Contributing
to Dementia?…p.7
gerard martin, md:
Pediatric Cardiac Care and the
Global Health Agenda…p.43
CLINICAL NEWS
Study Explores Prescribing
Habits for AF Patients at
Risk for Stroke…p.13
Pharmacists’ Interventions
May Cut CVD Risk…p.13
Leaders Trial Shows Benefit
of Liraglutide for Type 2
Diabetes Patients…p.15
Low-income Countries in
AMI Outcomes…p.16
SAVE
YOUR
BRAIN
PCI vs. OMT for Stable IHD:
What Part of ‘Optimal Medical
Therapy’ Is Confusing?...p.19
Disturbed Sleep, Aging and
CVD…p.20
More reasons
to optimize AF
therapy
ACC.org/CSWN
ACC.org/CSWN
Online
What advice would you give early career
cardiologists?
1) Follow your love and pursue what you want to do,
not what others tell you to do.
2) Focus on a particular area to be the best there is
in that area.
3) Family first, always. ■
Katlyn Nemani, MD, is a physician
at New York University.
CardioSource WorldNews
25