Heading to AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago?

I’d love to connect with colleagues interested in what’s next for finerenone in heart failure on Friday evening.

I’m extending an open invitation to investigators, clinicians, and research teams to join us at the University n how the MOONRAKER program is moving forward—and explore opportunities to contribute to this work.

Building on FINEARTS-HF, three complementary phase 3 trials are addressing questions that matter in everyday clinical practice:

• REDEFINE-HF: Evaluating whether finerenone reduces cardiovascular death and first and recurrent HF events in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure and LVEF ≥40%. This will extend the evidence into the vulnerable period surrounding an HF hospitalization.

• CONFIRMATION-HF: Testing an early treatment strategy combining finerenone with an SGLT2 inhibitor across the EF spectrum, assessing whether this approach improves clinical outcomes and patient-reported symptoms compared with usual care following an HF hospitalization.

• FINALITY-HF: Evaluating finerenone in patients with HFrEF who are intolerant of or ineligible for steroidal MRAs, generating evidence on cardiovascular death, HF events, symptoms, and safety in a population with an important unmet treatment need.

Together, these studies will clarify where finerenone fits across HF populations and care settings, including its role in early combination therapy and in patients with limited treatment options.

I’m proud of our Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute team’s collaboration with Marc Bonaca, CPC Clinical Research, and investigators worldwide to advance this program.

Whether you’re already involved in MOONRAKER, interested in research collaboration, or simply want to learn more, please join us for an evening of conversation and connection.

📍 University Club of Chicago
76 East Monroe Street, Chicago

Message me for reception details and RSVP. I look forward to seeing you in Chicago!

Out now in @ESC_Journals from #HFC member @JavedButler1 et al.

This study evaluates the prognostic significance of residual moderate secondary mitral regurgitation in patients with heart failure after optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy. doi.org/10.1093/eschf/…

What if biomarker, functional and MACE outcomes are nested in one integrated cardiometabolic clinical trial design, without upsetting the alpha police?

Thank you @FaiezZANNAD, @JavedButler1, @ArunJSanyalVCU for an excellent #MOSAICMASH in DC!

Body Composition in Heart Failure: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry Assessment in the UK Biobank Study.

doi.org/10.1016/j.jchf…

Contributions from Baim faculty, @ambarish4786 and @JavedButler1.

#BaimInstitute #ClinicalResearch #Cardiology

Screening and Treatment Using a Risk-Based Approach With NT-proBNP Guidance in Diabetes Mellitus: The STRONG-DM Pilot Study.

doi.org/10.1016/j.jchf…

Contributions from Baim faculty, @ambarish4786 and @JavedButler1.

#BaimInstitute #ClinicalResearch #DM

Defining Clinically Meaningful Within-Patient Changes in Heart Failure: JACC: Heart Failure Position Statement.

doi.org/10.1016/j.jchf…

Contributions from Baim CSO, James Januzzi, and Baim faculty, @JavedButler1.

#BaimInstitute #ClinicalResearch #HeartFailure

Albuminuria and heart failure.

doi.org/10.1093/eurhea…

Contributions from Baim faculty, @JavedButler1.

#BaimInstitute #ClinicalResearch #Cardiology #HeartFailure

Prof. Javed Butler makes the case for upstream #NLRP3 inhibition: targeting inflammasome activation closer to plaque-level danger signalling may matter for residual inflammatory risk.
Watch the video here: rezera.com/perspective/th…

Optimal implementation of SGLT2i to the 57.5 million US adults with T2DM, HF or CKD:

🫀 ~362,000 fewer HF 🏨/year

✅ ~224,000 deaths prevented/year

💰 $24.9 billion net savings/year

📈 ~$10 back per $1 spent (generic pricing)

#SGLT2i more than pays for itself

Albuminuria and heart failure

UACR AND HEART FAILURE: A CARDIORENAL WARNING SIGNAL

Albuminuria is more than a marker of kidney damage. It is an independent predictor of incident and worsening heart failure, hospitalization and mortality.

📊 Key messages:
🔹 HF risk rises easing UACR—even at low levels of albuminuria.
🔹 Across multiple studies, albuminuria is associated with approximately 1.5- to 6-fold higher HF risk, depending on the population and UACR level.
🔹 Its prognostic value extends beyond kidney disease, including in patients with diabetes and atrial fibrillation.
🔹 UACR is a simple, accessible biomarker that can improve cardiorenal risk stratification.

💡 Clinical takeaway: Don’t wait for eGFR to decline. Measure UACR to identify patients at increased cardiovascular and HF risk—and act early.

#HeartFailure #Cardiorenal #Albuminuria #CKD #Cardiology #Nephrology #UACR #CardiovascularPrevention
@JavedButler1 @mvaduganathan @gcfmd @SJGreene_md @GianluSava @HFA_President @hfcollaboratory
academic.oup.com/eurheartj/arti…

🫀 Of 243,510 patients with newly diagnosed HF:

only 15.4% started an sMRA 😳

📉 HFrEF 29.6% | HFmrEF 14.0% | HFpEF 9.5%

🩺 Lowest uptake: HFpEF, yet <1 in 3 in HFrEF

⏱️ Median 10 days to start

🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.card…

@HFSA #HFSA2026

Honored to present the VESALIUS-CV CABG analyses as a late breaker today at EACTS. @GilbertTangMD @DLBHATTMD @JavedButler1 @UnityHealthTO @cscs_sccc @UofTSurgery @UofTCVsurgery

Great overview on current state of GDMT in HF by @ambarish4786 at #proCardioForum. @markcpetrie20 @lamcardio @loridanielsmd @mvaduganathan @JavedButler1 @gcfmd

@CardiologyToday @HFSA @JCardFail >100,000 of these HF deaths each year could have been readily prevented

@HFSA @JCardFail

2026 iCARDIO Alliance Global Implementation Guidelines on Heart Failure.

doi.org/10.1016/j.card…

Contributions from Baim CSO, Dr. James Januzzi and Baim faculty, @hvanspall, @DrMarthaGulati, and @JavedButler1.

#BaimInstitute #Cardiology #HeartFailure

@gcfmd @DrMarthaGulati @JavedButler1 Thank you Dr Fonarow, Thank you Dr Gulati, Dr Butler🙏

Disease modification outcomes in type 2 diabetes: a modified Delphi.

doi.org/10.1016/s2213-…

Contributions from Baim faculty, @JavedButler1 and Dr. Leigh Perreault.

#BaimInstitute #ClinicalResearch #T2D

Another important JACC:HF Position Statement: Defining Clinically Meaningful Within-Patient Changes in HF @AminYehyaMD @hahn_rt @VDelgadoGarcia @noshreza @mpsotka @JJheart_doc @totocarbone @JavedButler1 @NatalieTapaskar @AndrewPAmbrosy jacc.org/doi/epdf/10.10…

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