Nick Burwick, MD

great article and commentary in blood journal, awakening the delta 🩸 ashpublications.org/blood/article/…

congratulations Marianne! walked away with the best prize WHO 5th edition 📘

A modern @deptvetaffairs requires a modern foundation. That’s why we’re investing nearly $5B into infrastructure and facility repairs across the country. Veterans deserve world class facilities to support their world class care.

the video tells the story

Lymphoma #AVAHO regional, who is in your final four?

All the explanations I’ve heard today for the negative CLOSURE-AF result—some so strained they’re almost impressive. 1) The devices were “outdated” and therefore responsible for excess complications (the usual argument that things only go wrong elsewhere). 2) DAPT was used after LAAO, which is now said to be obsolete because of bleeding concerns compared with DOAC-based strategies (a claim that is often repeated, less often demonstrated). 3) Stroke rates were similar, so the signal is attributed mainly to bleeding and procedural issues—as if that were a minor point. 4) The composite endpoint is criticized for mixing different mechanisms, although if anything it should have favored non-inferiority. 5) The early phase of enrollment is invoked to argue that complications are not representative of current practice (again, complications seem to belong to others). 6) And then there are the usual remarks about loss to follow-up, crossovers, and lack of blinding. What seems to be missed in this accumulation of arguments is straightforward: the burden of proof lies with LAAO, not with the control arm. The issue is the strength of the evidence supporting LAAO, not medical therapy, which remains the reference standard.

The CLOSURE-AF trial randomized 912 older adults (avg age 78) with AF at high stroke AND bleeding risk to left atrial appendage closure device vs physician-chosen best medical therapy (often DOACs/blood thinners). After median 3 years, device group had more primary events (stroke/embolism/major bleed/death): 16.8 vs 13.3 per 100 patient-years. It failed noninferiority (P=0.44). Layman's: In these high-risk folks, the implant didn't match meds' protection and had slightly worse outcomes overall. Suggests meds remain preferable when feasible.

Russell Westbrook @russwest44 is no stranger to dreaming big, having followed a “why not?” mantra that led him to become an NBA legend. He brings that same mentality off the court to the @whynotfdn. Discover his plans for the future: on.natgeo.com/OjgNlo #NatGeo33

@readswithravi lucky me Rich Paul

What’s a book you think everyone should read at least once in their lifetime?

Read to improve your writing. Write to improve your thinking.

@RahulBanerjeeMD @BrJHaem @GKaurMD @VincentRK @ldandersonjr @DrNikitaMehra @gjmccaughan @sharlenedong @adamssperling nice data great to see support for arrow

4/ Thank you to all physicians around world who completed survey and to @BrJHaem reviewers! Special thanks to my partner-in-crime @GKaurMD on this, @VincentRK for encouraging us to push this to finish line, and our 🇦🇺🇮🇳🇨🇦🇺🇸 co-authors! Link to article: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bj…

1/ Thanks @BrJHaem for featuring our work! How do physicians typically dose carfilzomib in myeloma #MMsm? Looking at trials of QW (1x wkly) and BIW (2x wkly), no conceivable way to tell at all 🤷🏼‍♂️ Our methods: Survey of >150 physicians from 29 countries and 6 continents.

join us for the #AVAHO lymphoma regional 3/21/26

@jasonryanmd @DGlaucomflecken I think Lady Glaucomflecken won this debate

Outstanding podcast by @DGlaucomflecken that super acurately captures the pressures on current medical students. Anyone who thinks (wrongly) that med students today aren’t dedicated should listen. In reality, they are working harder than ever in a system more and more competitive. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kno…

Eminem has so much charisma that he had to be an antisocial asshole lest he become too powerful. Can you imagine if he was nice? Like Mr. Rogers nice? He'd rule the world.

@bdermanmd very interesting findings, since loss of ikaros associated with steroid resistance are these more refractory cases of b-ALL emerging? assume if selection pressure leading to ikaros deletions/ IKZF1 independence then could be of concern with celmods

It appears that IDH2 mutations within setting of clonal hematopoiesis are expanded with exposure to lenalidomide. The authors surmise that this may be due to Ikaros downregulation. So the question is: do we really expect second heme cancer incidence to be lower with Pom or CELMoDs? Manuscript here: ashpublications.org/blood/article/…

A new manuscript provides a revealing window into lenalidomide-associated B-ALL. 57 patients had samples analyzed for molecular mutations. The high prevalence of TP53 mutations is no surprise What is novel is the high prevalence of IDH2 mutations (which is unique vs primary B-ALL).

@CoryBooker @KarineOmry thank you for promoting, whatever your views, execution by suffocation is indefensible

An important read from the New York Times. The death penalty is a moral obscenity and a stain on our justice system. nytimes.com/2026/03/13/opi…

Two highly anticipated hematology RCT’s were just published in the latest @NEJM issue🧵 1. Bleeding in Apixaban vs Rivaroxaban for VTE: 🩸 Major bleeding was higher with riva (2.4% vs 0.4%), as well as clinically relevant bleeding (7.1% vs 3.3%) 🤔 However…. this was mostly during the first 3 weeks of treatment, when riva dosing is 50% higher than that of apixaban… 💊 Notably, adherence was lower with apixaban than rivaroxaban (65% vs 75%) 🧠 No CNS bleeds in either group. 🩸 Efficacy was similar, 99% for both. We have known for a while that apixaban is likely superior in safety, and it is great to finally have RCT data to confirm this. But what does this mean for rivaroxaban and those who are on it? :

worth bookmarking, classic #heme_ed🩸 ➡️ the microcytic RBC and anemia of inflammation pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC37…

@MileyCyrus @DisneyPlus congratulations, full circle.

The secrets out! Can’t wait to celebrate the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary special with all of you! March 24 on @DisneyPlus. 🤫

@MTomasson FLT3 mutation?

@NickBurwick None of the above

which is a better primer in AML, GCSF or TPO-RA?