Heart Podcast

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction plus AF - challenges and opportunities 02.06.2026 30min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Harriette Van Spall from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They discuss her team's comprehensive review paper all about the intersection of heart failure with the preserved ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation. In particular, they cover the diagnostic challenges in this patient group, established and emerging medications, and the potential for conduction system pacing as a treatment option. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2026/03/06/heartjnl-2025-326954

Can routine cardiac CT in patients with acute coronary syndrome and prior bypass grafts improve clinical decisions? 19.05.2026 14min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Matthew Kelham from Bart's Hospital in London, UK. They discuss the difficulties in deciding the best strategy for patients who present with a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction who have had previous bypass grafting. Matt and colleagues used a survey of experts to gain consensus, then provided the experts with the results of a CTCA scan to assess whether the CTCA scan improved decision-making in this hard-to-manage group. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2026/01/26/heartjnl-2025-326961

Do older patients benefit from heart failure therapies? 05.05.2026 16min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor Professor James Rudd is joined by Dr Elinor Tan from the National University of Singapore. They discuss her team's systematic review and meta-analysis of guideline-directed medical therapies in older patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. They wanted to understand whether this patient group still benefits from such therapies and the profile of adverse events. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2026/02/11/heartjnl-2025-326305

Simulation training in Cardiology - a missed opportunity? 21.04.2026 18min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Stephen Hamshere from Bart's Hospital in London, UK. They discuss what simulation training entails, how it can help fill gaps in specialist training and what the future state might look like. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper: https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/11/19/heartjnl-2025-326598.long

The natural history of aortic regurgitation 07.04.2026 20min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Jwan Naser from The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. They discuss her study on asymptomatic aortic regurgitation, which suggests it may be less benign than previously believed. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/11/17/heartjnl-2025-326643

Current and emerging treatments for cardiac amyloidosis 24.03.2026 20min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Professor Marianna Fontana from Royal Free Hospital in London, UK. They discuss the current and future state of therapies for ATTR amyloidosis affecting the heart. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a supportive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper: https://heart.bmj.com/content/112/3/129

Premature ventricular complexes and risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke in patients without structural heart disease 10.03.2026 12min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Robin Bouleau from Stockholm, Sweden. They discuss his study that aimed to test whether having PVCs but a normal heart was a risk for future AF and stroke. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper: https://heart.bmj.com/content/112/1/21.long

Identification and management of non-obstructive high-risk coronary artery plaque 24.02.2026 19min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor Professor James Rudd is joined by Dr Craig Balmforth from the University of Edinburgh. They discuss the rationale for identifying high-risk plaque, how imaging can help, and emerging therapies, including PCI. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/112/1/13.long

Cardiac imaging in oncology: the detection of cardiotoxicity 10.02.2026 20min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Professor Kazuaki Negishi from Sydney, Australia. They discuss the optimal use of imaging to detect cardiac effects of cancer therapies. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/111/22/1057

Anticoagulation in patients with low-burden atrial fibrillation: new evidence focusing on device-detected AF 27.01.2026 16min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Professor Paulus Kirchhoff from the University of Hamburg in Germany. They discuss the concept of device-detected atrial fibrillation and how we should approach anticoagulation in this common patient group. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/111/21/999.long

How does colchicine impact inflammation in the coronary arteries? 13.01.2026 14min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Aernoud Fiolet from Utrecht in the Netherlands. They discuss the imaging substudy of the LoDoCo2 trial, which tested colchicine in patients with chronic coronary syndromes. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/111/23/1156.long

Can we predict coronary artery disease on CT using machine learning - insights from the SCOT-HEART trial 30.12.2025 20min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Professor Michelle Williams from the University of Edinburgh. They discuss the possibility of predicting cardiovascular disease on CT from clinical factors in the SCOT-HEART trial. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper: https://openheart.bmj.com/content/12/2/e003162 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1805971

Therapies for ventricular tachycardia 16.12.2025 18min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr John Sapp from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They discuss his review paper all about ventricular tachycardia in terms of drug and device therapies, plus advances in VT ablation. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us reach more people—thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/10/07/heartjnl-2024-325370

Evolution of coronary stents: innovations, antithrombotic strategies and future directions 02.12.2025 21min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr William Parker from Sheffield in the UK. They discuss how PCI has changed over the last 40 years, covering balloons, stents, drugs and the future. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/111/16/753

Planetary health meets cardiology: A call to action 18.11.2025 19min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Frances Varian from the University of Sheffield, UK. They discuss her insights as a cardiologist and geography graduate working in the NHS with respect to the environmental impact of climate change on our health. Dr Varian is leading the British Cardiovascular Society's environment and sustainability committee. They also explore how cardiovascular care and research both have environmental impacts and what we can do individually and at a population level to reduce this impact. Please see the links below for more information. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us reach more people - thank you! Links: ESC strategic plan 2023-2028 (includes sustainability) RCP green physicians toolkit Quantifying the carbon footprint of clinical trials Clinical trials carbon footprint guidance Carbon footprint calculator (Travel) Food - BBC Climate Change food calculator

Predicting cardiovascular events from routine mammograms using machine learning 04.11.2025 15min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor Professor James Rudd is joined by Dr Jennifer Barraclough from Sydney, Australia. They discuss her paper, which describes how a deep learning model can predict the risk of future cardiovascular events using mammogram images, along with age, and how this approach compares with existing methods, as well as the opportunities it might bring for improving the burden of cardiovascular disease among women. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us reach more people - thank you! Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/09/10/heartjnl-2025-325705

Predicting 1-year futility of TAVI procedures using machine learning 21.10.2025 19min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Mehdi Eskandari from King's College Hospital, London. They discuss his paper that attempts to use machine learning to identify patients in whom a TAVI procedure is likely to be unsuccessful, using simple, readily available variables. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks!Link to published paper:https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/07/25/heartjnl-2025-325928

Top 10 statistical errors in submitted papers...and how to avoid them 07.10.2025 25min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor Professor James Rudd is joined by Dan Green from the University of Aston. They discuss his paper in Heart, outlining 10 common errors in submitted manuscripts and how authors can avoid them. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people - thanks! Link to published paper: https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/06/23/heartjnl-2025-325939

Wearable device technology and the future of patient assessment 23.09.2025 24min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor Professor James Rudd is joined by Dr Paul Morris and Dr Gareth Williams from the University of Sheffield. They discuss what wearable devices are, the technology that powers them, and how they will impact the future of patient care in cardiology. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us reach more people - thank you! Link to published paper: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(23)00087-0/fulltext

Change in body weight, cardiovascular disease and mortality 09.09.2025 21min

In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Carl Lavie from New Orleans, USA. They discuss his editorial on a paper by Zhang and colleagues, which examined associations between changes in body weight, future cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. They also discuss the state of play with anti-obesity medications and the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness to good heart health. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us reach more people - thank you! Link to published papers: https://heart.bmj.com/content/111/10/454 https://heart.bmj.com/content/111/10/437