Message from the Faculty
Welcome to the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's Winter Newsletter. The end of 2011 saw the culmination of a year's worth of planning as TCT 2011 took place in San Francisco, CA, November 7-11. The conference was a huge success, drawing close to 12,000 attendees.
A total of 1,555 abstracts were submitted from 60 countries and 39 US states. Reviewers narrowed that number down to 799—a 50% acceptance rate. After being graded by an average of 10 reviewers per abstract, the accepted submissions were divided into 140 oral presentations and 659 posters. In addition to abstracts, there were over 40 hours of live case transmissions from 21 sites around the world.
TCT featured the latest data from groundbreaking clinical trials, enabling physicians to incorporate the most advanced techniques for treating patients into their everyday practices. This year's late breaking trials covered a wide range of areas from innovative stents to the latest medication strategies for heart attack patients (see story, page 1).
Two-year results from Cohort B of the PARTNER trial headlined the meeting and continue to support the superiority of catheter-based aortic valve replacement over standard therapy for patients with severe aortic disease who are not candidates for surgery.
Another highlight from the meeting was the keynote address by Michio Kaku, PhD, who enthralled attendees with his lecture, “The Future of Humankind” (see story, page 1). Dr. Kaku discussed the possibilities of what lies ahead in the realms of medicine, communication, and day-to-day life based on current and ongoing scientific and technological developments.
TCT 2011 was a huge endeavor, and we wish to thank all of the faculty, staff, and sponsors for their tireless efforts in making this year's meeting one of the most successful and educational TCT symposia ever. Planning for TCT 2012 is already in full swing and we look forward to seeing you October 22-27
in Miami, FL.
CRF's annual Pulse of the City Gala and the first Women's Heart Health Summit were held December 9, 2011, in New York City (see stories, pages 5 and 6). The Gala was held at the Mandarin Oriental, while the Summit took place earlier in the day. The Gala honored
Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Elizabeth G. Nabel, MD, for their contributions to the field of women's heart health. The Summit brought together both clinical experts on heart failure and peripheral disease as well as advocates in women's heart health to discuss the challenges in our current health care system.
Please mark your calendars for next year's Pulse of the City Gala, Friday, December 14, 2012, at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City.
We would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the appointment of Helen Parise, ScD, as Executive Director of the CRF Clinical Trials Center (CTC). Helen will be responsible for the entire CTC activity at CRF, working directly with faculty leadership.
We are pleased to recognize Helen's immense skills and talents in this important area and look forward to working with her in this new role.
From the educational experience of TCT to the Gala and Women's Heart Health Summit, CRF is grateful for your support in fulfilling our mission of improving the lives of patients with heart disease.
Sincerely,
Martin B. Leon, MD
Founder and Chairman Emeritus
Co-Director, Medical Research and Education Division
Cardiovascular Research Foundation
Gregg W. Stone, MD
Co-Director, Medical Research and Education Division
Cardiovascular Research Foundation
