NM Cardiovascular

Northwestern Memorial Hospital has one of the top 10 cardiology, heart and vascular surgery programs in the nation, ranked No. 7 by U.S. News & World Report, 2025 – 2026. Thanks to our team for your commitment to leading-edge research and expert patient care. breakthroughsforphysicians.nm.org/cardiovascular

Research led by Priya M. Freaney, MD (@PriyaFreaneyMD), recently featured in @medpagetoday, suggests that premature menopause is associated with a higher lifetime risk of coronary heart disease. The findings support the perimenopausal period as a unique window of opportunity to assess cardiovascular risk and advance earlier prevention strategies. Read more: medpagetoday.com/obgyn/menopaus…

In a recent Journal of the American College of Cardiology publication, Mansour Razminia, MD, shares an initial experience with intracardiac echocardiography-guided concomitant pulsed field ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion, integrating AFib treatment and stroke risk reduction without X-ray imaging. He regularly teaches this fluoroless approach to visiting physicians. Learn more: jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.…

Strong growth starts with strong leadership. At Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, a dyad collaboration between Sarah Plaskett, PA, and R. Kannan Mutharasan, MD, helped drive double digit growth in new patient visits by aligning clinical excellence with systemwide strategy. beckershospitalreview.com/quality/patien…

After months of unexplained chest tenderness, a patient was referred to Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. This appointment revealed a large, football-sized mass encroaching on his heart. Michael J. Severino, MD and Christopher K. Mehta, MD, reflect on removing this extremely rare tumor after other hospitals said it couldn’t be done: youtube.com/watch?v=_Cg0T7…

At Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, Mansour Razminia, MD, performs fluoroless concomitant atrial fibrillation ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion without X-ray. Learn more in Becker’s Cardiology: beckerscardiology.com/cardiology/the…

Shout out to Dr. Keith Benzuly who was called to help in the emergency of a Chicago mother who'd gone into cardiac arrest after delivering their child via C-section. With swift intervention the mother was safely resuscitated. Read Here: ow.ly/asXU50Z17n3

After Chelsea Cheveria gave birth to her second child, everything went black. The 37-year-old developed blood clots in her lungs that caused cardiac arrest. The @NMCardioVasc team took an all-hands-on-deck approach to save her. Shortly after, she was stable and her baby was back in her arms.

"We’re moving in the field of medicine … more at-home monitoring, more integration and use of digital health integration, data science, more empowerment of our patients. And physicians need to have a front-row seat,” says Baljash S. Cheema, MD, assistant professor of Cardiology. In this episode of Better Edge, Dr. Cheema discusses a photoplethysmography-based algorithm for remote AFib detection and monitoring. The conversation explores accuracy across patient populations, opportunities for remote monitoring and how digital tools may help clinicians identify intermittent Afib that might otherwise go undetected. Listen to learn more: breakthroughsforphysicians.nm.org/cardiovascular…

Three physicians from across the country entrusted their own heart care to Douglas R. Johnston, MD, and the Northwestern Medicine Center for Aortic Care at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Each faced a complex diagnosis, including aortic stenosis, bicuspid aortic valve cardiomyopathy and valve disease. Their experiences reflect how our multidisciplinary program is built to take on the toughest cases. As part of a yearlong focus on aortic care, we’ll share monthly highlights on aortic conditions, treatments and the collaborative teams delivering specialized care. Watch here: breakthroughsforphysicians.nm.org/cardiovascular…

At the AATS Aortic Symposium, Christopher K. Mehta, MD, presented on the first known double-barrel frozen elephant trunks for complex aortic aneurysm. Outlined in a recent Journal of Vascular Surgery case report, this unique hybrid treatment demonstrates our team’s surgical expertise and commitment to innovative solutions. Read more: jvscit.org/article/S2468-…

Kavitha Selvan, MD, presented at #ATS2026 on behalf of collaborators: each 10-point higher cardiovascular health score in young adulthood was linked to 32% lower odds of interstitial lung abnormalities 25 years later. Heart health may be a key target for preventing chronic lung disease. #NMBetter

Joseph Bailey, MD and co-authors at #ATS2026: recurrent respiratory infections in individuals without prior lung disease more than doubled the odds of COPD and ILD, and quadrupled the odds of bronchiectasis years later. A common infection history may not be so benign. #NMBetter

Work from Joseph Bailey, MD, Ravi Kalhan, MD, Sadiya Khan, MD, and Marc Sala, MD, is featured in the session "Lung Infection Odyssey: Population‑Level Outcomes and Long‑Term Pulmonary Sequelae", examining how recurrent respiratory infections are linked to chronic lung disease and health care utilization at #ATS2026. See more: breakthroughsforphysicians.nm.org/pulmonary-news…

Jane E. Wilcox, MD, MSc (@WilcoxHeart), and Duc Thinh Pham, MD (@DTPham_CVSurg), outline what referring physicians should know about the Northwestern Medicine Heart Transplant Program at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. The program offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach and leading-edge resources. Learn more: youtube.com/watch?v=lugxpT…

When considering cardiovascular risk, where fat is stored may matter more than BMI alone. In U.S. News & World Report (@usnews), Sadiya S. Khan, MD, MSc (@HeartDocSadiya), shared expert perspective on research linking belly fat to increased heart failure risk and earlier identification of patients at risk. Learn more: usnews.com/news/health-ne…

Menopause before age 40 may be linked to higher lifetime risk of coronary heart disease. In @EverydayHealth, Priya M. Freaney, MD (@PriyaFreaneyMD), director of the Northwestern Medicine Women’s Heart Care Program, discusses how these findings help quantify risk for clinicians and support earlier cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention. everydayhealth.com/cardiovascular…

Douglas R. Johnston, MD, discusses a complex case involving a patient who had an atrial switch as an infant and needed a valve-sparing root repair as an adult. Dr. Johnston partnered with David S. Winlaw, MD, of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago for this procedure. See how our team of multidisciplinary experts take on the toughest cardiovascular cases: youtube.com/watch?v=sX0Bef…

Excited for an incredible few days of innovation, hands-on learning, mentorship, and conversations shaping the future of cardiovascular medicine and research! Join me on this journey — the best learning happens when we grow together! #Fellows2026 #CardioX #CardioTwitter #CardioEd #CardioResearch @colletcarlos @mbmcentegart @sahilparikhmd @jgranadacrf @triciarawh @TCTConference @TCTMD @sophiakhattak @LuaiMadanat @DrShaz21 @oliveri_md @MananPareekMD @sahibzada_86

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 @JTWilkinsMD @NMCardioVasc