Highlights from the 2024 American Heart Association’s Annual Scientific Sessions

The American Heart Association’s (AHA) 2024 Scientific Session was held in Chicago in November. This is one of the premier scientific meetings of the year with over 10,000 clinicians and researchers in attendance. Sessions focused on the latest research and insights to improve cardiovascular health.

The Family Heart Foundation Exhibit Booth 

The Family Heart booth was staffed by Director of Community Activation Jen Farnell and Care Navigator Aurora Sullivan.  We were honored to have Family Heart Ambassador Roger Zellner (who lives in Chicago) join us to staff the booth on Saturday.  All three did a wonderful job of engaging clinicians, promoting the many Family Heart resources, and highlighting the recently launched Cholesterol Connect program. This exciting initiative provides free, at-home testing for LDL-C and lipoprotein(a), also known as Lp(a), along with personalized support from our Care Navigation center.

Participating in the HCP Live Peer Exchange Roundtable

Family Heart board chair Dr. Seth Baum moderated an HCP Live Peer Exchange roundtable entitled, “From LDL-C to Lp(a): A Multi-Specialty Approach to Reducing the Rising Tide of Cardiovascular Disease.”  This engaging discussion also featured Drs Yehuda Handelsman, Lisa Maher, Amy Peterson, and Erin Michos and will be released in mid-December.  Below is a “behind the scenes” picture from the recording studio. If you are interested in checking out our 2023 HCP Live Peer Exchange, you can find it here.

Recording the ReachMD Video Podcast

On Saturday morning, November 16, Family Heart board member Dr. Keith C. Ferdinand recorded a ReachMD video podcast focused on data that he presented at the 2024 Family Heart Global Summit on the state of LDL-C control in people with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This analysis was from the Family Heart Database and included over 3.4 million individuals. The podcast will be released on ReachMD in mid-December.

Presenting Lp(a) Data from the Family Heart Database

Also on Saturday, Diane MacDougall, the Vice President of Research at the Family Heart Foundation moderated a poster with original research from the Family Heart Database entitled, “Lipoprotein(a) and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events: an Analysis of a Large US National Database.” This analysis was one of the largest to date of Lp(a) levels and events in the US. It showed that in individuals with and without heart disease, higher levels of Lp(a) consistently predict a higher risk of events. These findings highlight the need for more Lp(a) screening.

Results from Late Breaking Clinical Trials

Finally, on Monday, three important and highly relevant trials were presented in the Late Breaking Clinical Trial session related to lipids.

The ALPACAR-360 trial examined the use of zerlasiran, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy targeting Lp(a), in 178 people with cardiovascular disease and levels of Lp(a) greater than or equal to 125 nmol/L. Three different doses of zerlasiran were studied – 450 mg dosed every 24 weeks and 300 mg dosed every 16 or 24 weeks.  The primary outcome was the time-averaged percent change in lipoprotein(a) concentration from baseline to 36 weeks, with follow-up to 60 weeks. All doses of zerlasiran reduced Lp(a) levels by more than 80% in individuals with ASCVD, and the drug was well-tolerated.

The KRAKEN trial examined the use of muvalaplin, an oral therapy that inhibits lipoprotein (a) formation, in patients with lipoprotein(a) concentrations of 175 nmol/L or greater with established cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).  Individuals were randomized to placebo or one of three doses of muvalaplin for a duration of 12 weeks – 10 mg/day, 60 mg/day, or 240 mg/day. Results were reported using 2 different assays.

Muvalaplin was associated with placebo-adjusted reductions in Lp(a) of 47.6% (95% CI, 35.1% to 57.7%), 81.7% (95% CI, 78.1%-84.6%), and 85.8% (95% CI, 83.1% to 88.0%) for the 10 mg/d, 60 mg/d, and 240 mg/d dosages, respectively, using the intact Lp(a) assay. No safety or tolerability concerns were observed at any dosage.

Finally, the BROOKLYN trial examined the use of obicetrapib in 354 individuals with heterozygous FH (HeFH) whose LDL-C was not adequately controlled while on maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy. Obicetrapib is a cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor that is administered orally once a day. In this trial, obicetrapib reduced LDL-C by 41.5% at day 365 and reduced Lp(a) by 54.3%. The safety profile was comparable to placebo.  The Family Heart Foundation helped to recruit patients for the BROOKLYN trial through our Clinical Trial Awareness program and so it was exciting to see the results presented at AHA.