Advances in Cardiac Psychiatry: An Interactive Workshop

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The field of cardiac psychiatry is constantly evolving. In a recent scientific statement, the American Heart Association acknowledged the relationships between psychological and cardiovascular health and emphasized the importance of considering psychological health when treating individuals with heart disease. At the same time, advances in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of cardiovascular disease—including the development of minimally invasive procedures and remote cardiac monitoring—have the potential to significantly impact mental and physical quality of life in patients with heart disease. Finally, in the past year, the cardiovascular and psychiatric effects of COVID-19 have become increasingly apparent. Knowledge of these advances is critical for C-L psychiatrists, as they strive to provide the most appropriate, evidence-based care for patients with heart disease.

In this 90-minute workshop, we will provide a practical, evidence-based update on several essential topics for CL psychiatrists. These include advances in cardiology diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment, the cardiovascular and psychiatric consequences of COVID-19, psychiatric complications of cardiac transplant medications, approach to patients with complex cardiac disease in the setting of opioid use disorder, and psychiatric treatment considerations for patients with heart disease.

In the first 60 minutes of the workshop, several presenters will provide updates on essential topics for CL psychiatrists. Dr. Styra will discuss new cardiac procedures and devices, including transcutaneous valve replacement and mitral clip procedures. Dr. Pozuelo will review recent advances in remote monitoring and wearable devices that can aid in diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and engagement in healthy behaviors. Dr. Funk will discuss cardiac complications of COVID and the approach to patients with complex cardiac disease in the setting of opioid use disorder. Dr. Celano will provide an update of the relationships between depression, anxiety, and heart disease, as well as treatment considerations for depressive and anxiety disorders in patients with heart disease. Finally, Dr. Saad-Pendergrass will review the psychiatric and neurologic side effects of cardiac transplant medications.

In the final 30 minutes, we will hold an interactive panel discussion that will focus on the incorporation of this information into clinical care. Using several case vignettes, we will discuss the practical application of the topics presented to clinical practice, and audience members will be asked to provide feedback on how they would approach different clinical scenarios.

We hope that attendees will leave this workshop with an increased understanding of the clinical implications of the technological advances in cardiology, the impact of COVID-19 and opioid use disorder on mental and cardiovascular health, and evidence-based treatment approaches to psychiatric disorders in patients with heart disease.