Cardiologists and researchers from NYU Langone Health's Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology are presenting new research and clinical findings at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2026, taking place November 6 to 9 in Chicago.
Four NYU Langone studies will be featured in Late-Breaking Science and Featured Science sessions. The research examines long-term treatment strategies for stable coronary artery disease, including in people with advanced kidney disease; whether cleaner indoor air may support cardiometabolic health; and digital tools to improve heart failure care.
Faculty will also present research on high blood pressure screening in young adults, heart attacks without blocked coronary arteries, and the role of inflammation and platelets in cardiovascular disease.
"These presentations reflect the breadth of cardiovascular research taking place at NYU Langone, from understanding the long-term effects of heart disease to finding better ways to identify risk, improve diagnosis, and support treatment," said Sunil Rao, MD , director of the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. "By bringing together clinical research, new technologies, and innovative approaches to care, our faculty is working to translate scientific advances into better outcomes for patients."
NYU Langone Heart is ranked No. 1 in the nation for cardiology and heart and vascular surgery by U.S. News & World Report and has some of the nation's highest success rates for treating heart rhythm disorders, coronary artery disease, valve disease, and congenital heart disease. Faculty will participate in more than 75 presentations, on-demand discussions, and poster sessions throughout AHA Scientific Sessons 2026. Selected research highlights follow.
Featured Late-Breaking Science Sessions
Long-Term Survival in Coronary Artery Disease
A late-breaking analysis from the international ISCHEMIA-EXTEND study will examine long-term survival among people with stable coronary artery disease and abnormal stress tests.
The study compares an initial strategy of angiography and, when appropriate, stents or bypass surgery alongside medications and lifestyle changes with a medication-first approach, reserving procedures for people whose symptoms or condition do not improve. The original ISCHEMIA trial enrolled more than 5,000 participants at 320 hospitals in 37 countries.
"Patients with stable coronary artery disease have different needs and treatment considerations than people experiencing a heart attack or another urgent heart problem," said study chair Judith S. Hochman, MD , the Harold Snyder Family Professor of Cardiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. "Long-term follow-up from ISCHEMIA will help patients and their clinicians weigh the potential benefits and trade-offs of different treatment strategies."
Full results will be presented Saturday, November 7, and will be available in a separate NYU Langone news release.
Saturday, November 7, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. CT
Presenter: Judith S. Hochman, MD
Session: "Stable Ischemic Heart Disease: What Happens in the Long Run"
Long-Term Outcomes in Advanced Kidney Disease and Coronary Artery Disease
A companion late-breaking analysis, ISCHEMIA-CKD EXTEND, will report long-term survival findings for people with stable coronary artery disease and advanced chronic kidney disease, including those receiving dialysis.
The study follows 777 participants randomly assigned to either an initial invasive strategy—coronary angiography and procedures to restore blood flow when appropriate, combined with guideline-directed medications—or a medication-first approach, with procedures reserved for patients whose symptoms or condition did not improve. Researchers will present up to eight years of follow-up on overall survival and cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths.
"People with advanced kidney disease carry a particularly high burden of heart disease, but they have often been underrepresented in major cardiovascular trials," said Sripal Bangalore, MD , professor in the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. "This long-term follow up of the largest trial to-date of this patient population is intended to provide clearer evidence for patients and clinicians deciding how to approach stable coronary disease in this complex population."
Saturday, November 7, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. CT
Presenter: Sripal Bangalore, MD
Session: "Stable Ischemic Heart Disease: What Happens in the Long Run"
Cleaner Indoor Air and Cardiometabolic Health
A randomized, double-blind study examines whether bedroom HEPA air filters can improve blood sugar patterns in adults with prediabetes. More than 150 New York City adults used either a working portable air cleaner or a lookalike sham filter in their bedrooms for about one month while researchers measured indoor fine-particle pollution and tracked blood sugar with continuous glucose monitors.
"Air pollution is an often overlooked factor that may affect metabolic and cardiovascular health," said Sharine L. Wittkopp, MD, PhD, a clinical instructor in the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. "This study examines whether a practical intervention—improving the air people breathe while they sleep—can help support healthier blood sugar patterns in adults with prediabetes."
Full findings will be presented Sunday, November 8. A separate NYU Langone news release with study results will be available following the presentation.
Sunday, November 8, 10:30 to 10:40 a.m. CT
Presenter: Sharine L. Wittkopp, MD, PhD
Session: "Translating Evidence to Practice: Rigorous Evaluations of Human, Digital and Environmental Interventions"
Digital Alerts to Support Heart Failure Care
The BETTER CARE-HF multi-center study builds on earlier NYU Langone research showing that a carefully designed prompt in the electronic health record can help heart specialists prescribe recommended mortality-reducing medications for people with heart failure.
In this follow-up study, researchers evaluated the NYU Langone tool across several other health systems. The prompt brings together key patient information, including heart-pumping strength, blood pressure, blood test results, and current medications, to support treatment decisions.
"Many people with heart failure can benefit from medications that lower their risk of hospitalization and help them live longer, but these treatments are not always prescribed when appropriate," said Amrita Mukhopadhyay, MD, assistant professor in the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. "Building on our earlier work, BETTER CARE-HF examined whether this type of tailored electronic prompt could be effective across different health systems to improve care."
Sunday, November 8, 3:43– to 3:53 p.m. CT
Presenter: Amrita Mukhopadhyay, MD
Session: "Digital-Driven Solutions: Connecting the Patient and Provider for HF Transformation"
Additional Research and Presentation Highlights
Dental Visits May Help Identify High Blood Pressure Earlier
NYU Langone researchers will present findings from more than 45,000 adults ages 18 to 39 who received care at NYU College of Dentistry clinics from 2023 through 2025 – where pre-visit blood pressure screening of patients so standard. The study found that few of these young adults do not regularly see a primary care provider and that many of them had undiagnosed high blood pressure.
"Dental visits may be one of our best opportunities to identify high blood pressure in young adults who otherwise may not see a primary care provider," said Sean P. Heffron, MD , preventive cardiologist in the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU Langone Heart. "A simple blood pressure check could help uncover risk earlier, when there is more time to prevent heart disease."
Saturday, November 7, 3:50 to 3:55 p.m. CT
Presenter: Sean P. Heffron, MD
Session: "Hypertension Treatment Support, Complications, and Adherence"
Improving Diagnosis of Heart Attacks Without Blocked Arteries
NYU Langone researchers will present abstracts focused on myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries, or MINOCA. This condition occurs when a person has a heart attack but testing does not reveal a major blockage in the coronary arteries.
The presentations will explore whether blood tests, electrocardiograms, and advanced imaging can help clinicians better identify the cause of these heart attacks and guide care.
Presentations:
- "Relationship Between Cardiac Troponin and Multimodality Imaging Findings in MINOCA"
- "Age and Multimodality Imaging Findings Among Patients Presenting With MINOCA in the HARP Study"
- "Electrocardiography and Etiologies of Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries (MINOCA)"
Authors include Harmony R. Reynolds, MD; Nathaniel R. Smilowitz, MD; Tyler D. Webster, MD; Atul Sharma, MD; Anais Hausvater, MD; Albert S. Jung, MD, PhD; and Judith S. Hochman, MD.
Platelets, Inflammation, and Future Cardiovascular Treatments
Jeffrey S. Berger, MD , director of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU Langone Heart, will participate in a special "TED Talk" session exploring how inflammation, blood vessel health, and platelets—the blood cells that help form clots—interact to drive atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in arteries.
In his presentation, "The Messenger: Platelet Transcriptomics and Thrombo-inflammation," Dr. Berger will examine the role of platelets in inflammation and cardiovascular disease, and how platelet genetics may help advance our understanding of—and ultimately inform new approaches to targeting—the inflammatory and thrombotic pathways that contribute to residual cardiovascular risk beyond cholesterol.
Friday, November 6, 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. CT
Speaker: Jeffrey S. Berger, MD
Session: "The Thrombo-Inflammatory Axis: Bridging the Vessel Wall, Blood, and Bedside"
About NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality that has resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient Inc. has ranked NYU Langone No. 1 out of 118 comprehensive academic medical centers across the nation four years in a row, and it continues to have the most No. 1– and top 10–ranked specialties among medical centers in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. NYU Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across seven inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 330 outpatient locations in the New York City area and Florida. The system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise.
