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Cardiac Wire’s Top 40, Retatrutide’s Triumph, and Editing-Away LDL-C
May 28, 2026
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Together with
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“These drugs are like Spanx—when you take them away, everything goes back exactly where it was. “
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One LinkedIn commenter on the maintenance med downsides of GLP-1s, including the impressive new triple-G agonist detailed below.
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It’s been a minute since Cardiac Wire updated our list of the Top 40 cardiology resources. If there’s anyone out there we missed, let us know for the next one.
Cheers,
Vik
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Much like a beating heart, cardiology never stops. Whether it’s debate about technology, therapy, or ethics, cardiologists are some of the most vocal and passionate members of the medical community, and their opinions can be found across X, LinkedIn, and beyond.
Regardless of platform, this list of top cardiology resources should keep you well-informed about one of healthcare’s most cutting-edge specialties.
TOP CARDIOLOGY SITES
Beyond the mainstream cardiology news websites (TCTMD, Medscape, et al.) and the major cardiovascular journals (JACC, AHA, JAMA Cardiology, etc.), there’s a wealth of op-ed and discussion based resources for cardiologists.
TOP CARDIOLOGY KEY OPINION LEADERS
Cardiology is teeming with discussion and debate, with each voice lending a thoughtful perspective. Here are a few of the best in each cardiac field.
General Cardiology and Medicine
- Martha Gulati, MD – Expert opinions in preventive cardiology (especially for women)
- Michael Albert, MD – Cardiometabolic takes on obesity care and treatments
- Mamas A. Mamas, MD – Great cardiology perspectives with a U.K. lean
- Eric Topol, MD – Major voice in longevity, AI, and general health
- Thomas Dayspring, MD – Specialized takes on lipids and their cardiac impact
- Anish Koka, MD – A cardiologist with his finger on the FDA/CMS pulse
- Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH – Former FDA official and medical ethics aficionado
- C. Michael Gibson, MD – Physician turned medical news conduit and quasi-pundit
- Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH – An omnipresent sharer of knowledge
- Benoy Shah, MD – A cardiologist with a passion for publishing
Interventional and Structural Heart
Electrophysiology
Heart Failure
Cardiac Imaging
Business and MedTech
- Ken Nelson – A great eye for cardiology business news with industry insider vibes
- Mark Cuban – Passionate member of the pharma debate when he’s not busy being rich
- Daniel Hawkins – Inventor of the IVL tech and a wealth of innovative perspective
- Dutch Rojas – A vocal (albeit divisive) skeptic of the current healthcare system
HEALTHCARE NEWSLETTERS AND WEBSITES
Looking to get out of the cardiology niche and broaden your medical newsfeed? Insight Links publishes two other healthcare newsletters.
The TakeawayThis list should cover all your bases for staying informed about the latest developments in cardiology news. Or, just sign up for Cardiac Wire and we’ll do it for you.
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CA Diagnosis Using Echo AI
Diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis using echo can be challenging due to the imaging overlap between CA and more prevalent causes of cardiomyopathy. Read more about how Us2.ai’s echocardiographic score and fully automated deep-learning model overcome this challenge to enable better diagnosis.
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What Every Cardiologist Needs to Watch for in Heart Failure
Patients with preserved (HFpEF) or mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) face a high risk of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death, even with guideline-directed medical treatment. Hear from Bayer’s Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon as she shares common heart failure signs to look out for.
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Relieving The Burden of Post-Processing
With the advent of advanced imaging technologies like CCTA come added burdens to technologists and diagnostic imaging centers. See how PIA can relieve the burden of post-processing, saving you time while helping your bottom line.
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- Retatrutide’s Historic Weight Loss: Lilly’s triple-G agonist retatrutide delivered the greatest weight reductions in the history of GLP-1s in the new phase III TRIUMPH-1 trial. Among 2,339 non-diabetic adults over 80 weeks, retatrutide drove 28.3% weight loss at the highest dosage, and reached 30.3% among severely obese participants (BMI >35). GI side effects prompted 11% of highest-dose participants to drop out, although people on the lowest dosage had less discontinuations than placebo and still shed 19% (that’s greater than current GLP-1s).
- VERVE-102’s Strong Early Results: A Phase 1 trial of Eli Lilly’s (formerly VERVE’s) VERVE-102 base-editing therapy demonstrated dose-dependent reductions in PCSK9 and LDL-C in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia or premature CAD. Among the study’s 35 participants, single intravenous infusions at doses from 0.3-1.0 mg/kg reduced PCSK9 levels by 51%-88% and LDL-C levels 9%-62%, with a 78 mg/dL absolute reduction at the highest dose. These reductions remained steady through at least one-year follow-up, and the drug showed no dose-limiting toxicity.
- Cardiosense PCWP Approval: Cardiosense received FDA De Novo classification for its PCWP Analysis Software that noninvasively estimates pulmonary capillary wedge pressure using only a small chest-worn wearable sensor. PCWP is a key indicator of fluid buildup in HF patients, and had to be measured via invasive cardiac catheterization or implantation until now. The technology already demonstrated accuracy comparable to implanted pressure sensors and is indicated for adults with HFrEF. This De Novo status follows FDA 510(k) clearance of Cardiosense’s CardioTag wearable sensor in July 2025.
- Evolut TAVR’s SAA Advantage: Much like the first two years, three-year SMART trial data showed that Medtronic’s Evolut self-expanding valves offer solid hemodynamic advantages over Edwards’ SAPIEN 3 balloon-expandable valves in TAVR patients with small aortic annuli, but without outcomes benefits. Among 716 randomized patients (87% women!), Evolut and SAPIEN had similar rates of death, disabling stroke, or HF hospitalization (25.4% vs. 22.6%), but Evolut had much lower bioprosthetic-valve dysfunction (16.3% vs. 54.4%) and hemodynamic structural valve dysfunction (6.7% vs. 46.4%).
- Octagos and RPM AI: Octagos launched Ask Atlas, an AI software that allows cardiac monitoring teams to directly query remote data. Built on Atlas AI, Ask Atlas allows providers and administrators to ask complex questions about device transmissions, EHR data, clinical context, and workflows. They then receive structured answers in seconds instead of static reports or performing manual chart review. The software will also become part of Octagos’ Two-Brain approach which combines Atlas AI with IBHRE-certified human expertise.
- Affinia’s Early Data for BAG3-DCM: Affinia Therapeutics presented new data for AFTX-201, its gene therapy for BAG3-associated dilated cardiomyopathy. The preclinical data showed that AFTX-201 fully restored cardiac function in animal models at doses 5-10 times lower than conventional AAV gene capsids, with lasting gene expression up to six months in non-human primates and no significant adverse effects. The results come after Affinia already secured FDA IND approval and regulatory support in Canada for its clinical studies.
- Cardiovalve Hits its TTVR TARGET: Cardiovalve’s TARGET study revealed impressive performance and safety results for the company’s transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement system. The single-arm, open-label study followed 150 Cardiovalve TTVR patients across 30 European sites, finding that all patients achieved sustained TR elimination over two years (>70% started with massive/torrential TR). The patients also showed notable improvements to 6MWT distances (269 to 314), KCCQ scores (53-70), and NYHA I/II levels (39.9% to 88%), while achieving an acceptable safety profile for this sick population.
- Stroke and Heart Rate’s Relationship: Revealing the importance of resting heart rate, a UK Biobank analysis of 459k individuals without prior stroke or AFib found that resting heart rates outside 60-69 bpm are associated with elevated stroke risks. Over the study’s 14-year follow-up, ischemic stroke risk increased 15% in people with heart rates below 50 bpm and by 9% at 80-89 bpm. Notably, the heart rate-stroke relationship was strongest in individuals who never developed AFib, with 38% greater risks at heart rates below 50 bpm and 77% greater for 90+ bpm.
- AI Reads Cardiac MRI Scans: An open-source AI algorithm made by Carnegie Mellon and Cleveland Clinic analyzed cardiac MRI scans better than general-purpose AI models in a new study in Nature Communications. The researchers developed CMR-CLIP to connect dynamic cardiac MR images with the impressions sections of radiology reports and trained it with 13k patient studies. In testing, they found that the algorithm outperformed general CMRI AI models by over 35% in some cases, and had accuracy as high as 99% for some heart conditions. CMR-CLIP can be downloaded on GitHub.
- Bayer’s Asundexian FDA Nod: The FDA accepted Bayer’s New Drug Application for asundexian and granted Priority Review designation for the investigational oral Factor XIa inhibitor for secondary stroke prevention. The submission is based on positive OCEANIC-STROKE trial results, which met primary efficacy endpoints for time to first ischemic stroke and primary safety outcomes for major bleeding. Asundexian previously received Fast Track Designation in 2023 and the new Priority Review status suggests that asundexian could provide significant improvement in treating secondary stroke.
- Validating Risk Calculators: While some studies have raised questions about risk calculators, a global validation study found the PREVENT and SCORE2 cardiovascular risk calculators perform well across diverse clinical and population groups. Published in Nature Medicine, the 6.4M person study showed favorable discrimination with median C-statistics of 0.702 for PREVENT and 0.683 for SCORE2. Predictive performance was strongest in low- and intermediate-risk populations, so the calculators are useful in primary care settings, while adding albuminuria to PREVENT significantly improved CVD, ASCVD, and HF prediction.
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RoR in the Real World with Monebo and UNCG
Strenuous exercise can significantly reduce people’s heart relaxation reserve, putting them at risk without preliminary warning signs. Find out how Monebo’s new Reserve of Relaxation technology provides a crucial tool for anyone looking to enhance their physical performance without harm.
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From Fetal to Adult Cardiovascular Ultrasound
Continuity of care is critical when it comes to a patient’s cardiovascular health. That’s why cardiologists across America are picking Fujifilm’s Lisendo 880 cardiovascular ultrasound for its versatility and precise imaging starting at a patient’s fetal development to adulthood.
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Staying ALERT with Tempus
Undertreatment and time to treatment of valvular heart disease are among the biggest challenges health systems face today, but Tempus’ AI-driven EHR notifications can change that. Read the results of Medtronic and Tempus’ ALERT trial which found that delivering data directly to providers resulted in a 40% relative increase in life-saving valve procedures.
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- Merge Hemo Ranks 2026 Best in KLAS: Merge Hemo ranked 2026 Best in KLAS for cardiology hemodynamics, marking the 14th year it’s been named a category leader. Find out more about why Merge’s strategy of a modular, unified imaging solutions portfolio continues to dominate the KLAS rankings, year in, year out.
- How AI Expands the Role of CMR Experts: If you’re an MRI technologist, AI could be the best thing that ever happened to your career. Read here to learn about the benefits of AI for CMR experts and how it can accelerate both your training and career.
- The Power of AI in Cardiovascular Imaging: Cardiac labs are under more pressure than ever to deliver more with greater speed and precision. Hear from ACUSON Origin customer, Tony Gallagher about how Siemens Healthineers’ cardiovascular ultrasound system is improving exam efficiency and showing positive impact on ROI.
- The Unified Cardiac Workflow: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of global mortality, yet diagnostic workflows remain fragmented. That’s why it’s so important that Circle Cardiovascular Imaging’s cvi42 is the industry’s first unified platform for reading Cardiac MRI and Cardiac CT, and PCAT analysis within a single application.
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