Farouc Jaffer MD PhD

Interventional Cardiologist Mass General/MGB, Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School. #CTOPCI #MolecularImaging #StopHeartDisease. Tweets ≠ advice

[Farouc Jaffer MD PhD @FaroucJaffer]

Beyond glucose and weight loss: GLP-1 RAs reduce systemic inflammation, atherosclerosis inflammation and progression, and MACE —independent of diabetes or obesity

Key findings:

* Using serial intravascular NIRF-OCT inflammation and IVUS imaging, liraglutide reduced plaque inflammation and plaque progression in rabbits without obesity or diabetes;

* In the MGB Biobank, GLP-1 RA use reduced blood inflammation and MACE, regardless of A1c or BMI status;

* In human macrophages, three GLP-1RAs suppressed inflammatory cathepsin protease activity;

--> Intravascular NIRF-OCT offers the potential for inflammation imaging and anti-inflammatory drug assessment in human CAD

--> Time to investigate GLP-1RAs in all patients with CAD?

Collaborative, extended effort by @MohamadBKassab1 H.Khraishah A.Thrapp @ShadyAbohashem @ATawakolMD P.Libby @GTearney1 et al.  Our sincere thanks to the editors and reviewers @ehj_ed

https://t.co/pOqtyGcWLM

[MyJSCAI @MyJSCAI]

📖New analysis of the AGENT IDE trial, treatment with #paclitaxel-coated vs uncoatedballoon was safe & effective for treating patients with #coronary #ISR across a spectrum of #restenosis risk. Read more today:

➡️https://t.co/oOaK4Hu6mq

@PrakritiGaba @KateKearney4 @rwyeh @JDawnAbbott1 @FaroucJaffer

[NEJM @NEJM]

In the phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 trial involving patients with obesity, retatrutide, a triple hormone receptor agonist, resulted in substantial weight reduction and a decrease in knee osteoarthritis pain and obstructive sleep apnea events. Full trial results: https://t.co/kzuY57bUTX

[Farouc Jaffer MD PhD @FaroucJaffer]

@EricTopol https://t.co/2EVqyyxtPH

that resonates

[Center for Coronary Artery Disease @CCAD_MHIF]

Complete our survey on CT-guided PCI for a chance to receive complimentary registration to our 4th CT-Guided PCI Summit!

Your input will help us better understand current practices and perspectives in CT-guided PCI.

🔗Take the survey here: https://t.co/vrqt1LEXCU

[Mohamad Kassab @MohamadBKassab1]

Honored to receive the Herman K. “Chip” Gold, MD Young Investigator Award for Clinical/Translational Research in Interventional Cardiology at @MGHHeartHealth

Equally meaningful was sharing this moment with my mentor, Dr. @FaroucJaffer, who received the Excellence in Mentoring Award. His vision, mentorship, and unwavering support have shaped both my scientific training and career, and I am deeply grateful to learn from him.

This recognition reflects a body of work spanning molecular imaging, preclinical atherosclerosis models, and clinical research. One project that contributed to this award demonstrated that GLP-1 receptor agonists reduce arterial inflammation and slow plaque progression in experimental atherosclerosis, with parallel clinical evidence showing reduced systemic inflammation and lower cardiovascular event rates - benefits observed regardless of diabetes, obesity, or glycemic status.

Thank you to my colleagues and collaborators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. I’m excited to continue advancing translational cardiovascular research that bridges discoveries in the laboratory with improved patient care.

#Cardiology #TranslationalResearch #MedicalResearch #InterventionalCardiology #MassGeneralHospital #HarvardMedicalSchool #YoungInvestigatorAward #Mentorship

[Kiers10 Frenchu, MD @kkfrench29]

The first of its kind interactive course dedicated to managing catastrophic complications! 🫀🏩 Sign up space limited! Spend a beautiful fall weekend in Burlington 🍂🍁 Nurses, techs, PAs, fellows welcome, CME available ✅

[Cardiovascular Research Foundation @crfheart]

Under 40 and committed to advancing academic and research excellence?

Make #TCT2026 🌴 your moment to shine. Apply for the Thomas J. Linnemeier Spirit of Interventional Cardiology Young Investigator Award and gain recognition for your achievements while taking your career to the next level. ✨

📆 Deadline: August 3 | 2:00 PM EDT (UTC-4)
🔗 https://t.co/R46vWSh8Cm

#CardioX #CardioTwitter #CardioEd #CardioResearch @BurkhoffMd @djc795 @ColletCarlos @georgedangas @jgranadacrf @mbmcentegart @Drroxmehran @sahilparikhmd @PopmaJeffrey @triciarawh @mirvatalasnag @TCTConference @TCTMD @g_giustinoMD @RobertAvramMD @CathElectroSurg @SimoneBiscaglia @JSillerMatula @adnanalkhouli @jaygirimd @PhilippLurz @m_taramasso @barbanti_marco @PhilGenereuxMD @rwyeh @DFCapodanno @colinbarkerMD @robebyrne @shishem @FaroucJaffer @Kandzari

[Gregg W. Stone MD @GreggWStone]

Our publ in NEJM (DAPT-MVD): Among 8250 pts not at high bleeding risk w/MVD & ACS, extending ASA+clopidogrel from 12 to 24 mo decreased MACE from 6.8% to 5.8% (P=0.03) w/o incr bleeding c/w ASA alone. While shortening DAPT is appropriate in many pts, in some long DAPT is better!

[MyJSCAI @MyJSCAI]

☢️🛡️Today #RadiationSafety Takes Center Stage in #JSCAI

JSCAI publishes 7 articles focused on protecting physicians, staff, & pts in the #cathlab. Highlights include a new multisociety @SCAI statement, the #ATTENUATE Trial, & Arizona's bold legislative approach to #radiation protection & safer working environments. Read now.

🔗 https://t.co/sR19FZqDGi

@SCAI @AlexandraLansky @RizikMd @AGoldsweig @GiorgioMedranda @Herms2James @FaroucJaffer

[Cardiovascular Research Foundation @crfheart]

✅ Under 40?
✅ Passionate about advancing cardiovascular medicine?
✅ Building a track record of academic and research excellence?

Then this one’s for you! 👇

Apply for the Thomas J. Linnemeier Spirit of #InterventionalCardiology Young Investigator Award for the chance to receive a $10,000 scholarship and serve as #TCT2026 faculty. ✨

⏰ Deadline: August 3, 2026 | 2:00 PM EDT (UTC −4)
https://t.co/mrwfS8hsH1

#CardioX #CardioTwitter #CardioEd #CardioResearch @BurkhoffMd @djc795 @ColletCarlos @georgedangas @jgranadacrf @mbmcentegart @Drroxmehran @sahilparikhmd @PopmaJeffrey @triciarawh @mirvatalasnag @TCTConference @TCTMD @g_giustinoMD @RobertAvramMD @CathElectroSurg @SimoneBiscaglia @JSillerMatula @adnanalkhouli @jaygirimd @PhilippLurz @m_taramasso @barbanti_marco @PhilGenereuxMD @rwyeh @DFCapodanno @colinbarkerMD @robebyrne @shishem @FaroucJaffer @Kandzari

[Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @NYCMayor]

1,000 World Cup tickets. $50 each. All for New Yorkers.

We fought hard to make the people’s game available to the people — and won.

Let the summer of soccer begin.

[Avi Roy @agingroy]

Eli Lilly just released Phase 3 data for retatrutide, their next-generation obesity drug. 2,339 patients. 80 weeks. The biggest trial in the field.

8 things worth knowing:
1️⃣ It beats every obesity drug on the market. Wegovy (semaglutide): 15% Zepbound (tirzepatide): 22% Retatrutide: 25%

2️⃣ You don’t need the highest dose. The lowest (4mg) already outperforms Wegovy. 18% weight loss with one dose increase. Fewer people quit than on the sugar pill.

3️⃣ At two years, weight was still dropping. No plateau. Patients with BMI over 35 lost 84 pounds. 30% of their body weight.

4️⃣ Some patients stopped taking it because they lost too much weight. That’s never happened with an obesity drug.

5️⃣ It works differently. Ozempic and Zepbound suppress appetite. Retatrutide does that too, but its third receptor (glucagon) flips your metabolism toward burning stored fat. In Phase 2, ketone bodies rose 2-3x, confirming the body was switching fuel sources.

6️⃣ It causes a side effect no other obesity drug does: tingling and numbness (12.5%). New receptor, new trade-off. Worth watching.

7️⃣ In a separate study, it cleared 86% of liver fat. 93% of patients reached normal levels. 1 in 3 adults have fatty liver disease. No approved drug comes close.

8️⃣ Two-thirds of patients on the highest dose were reclassified out of obesity entirely. They started at BMI 40. They finished under 30. That’s not just weight loss. That’s a medical reclassification.

@US_FDA filing expected late 2026.

[Omar Khalique @OKhaliqueMD]

#ctguidedpci is here. Standing room only at the @scai #scai2026 lunchtime session. Rewarding to work with interventional colleagues on this new pathway. @eshlof ⁦@ziadalinyc⁩ ⁦@Heart_SCCT⁩ @faroucjaffer

[Farouc Jaffer MD PhD @FaroucJaffer]

congratulations Pradeep on an incredible body of work and impactful research!

[Pradeep Natarajan @pnatarajanmd]

Grateful to share that I’ve been promoted to Professor of Medicine @harvardmed @Harvard.
I am deeply thankful for my family, mentors, collaborators, and trainees who have carried me here.

[American Heart Association @American_Heart]

The American Heart Association mourns the passing of the legendary cardiologist Eugene Braunwald, M.D., widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the history of cardiovascular medicine. Over seven decades, his work reshaped the understanding and treatment of heart disease, leading many to call him the father of modern cardiology.

Braunwald was a lifelong contributor to the American Heart Association, helping advance its research and scientific mission, and was honored with some of the Association’s highest honors for his lasting influence on cardiovascular care and research. His influence extended well beyond his own discoveries, as generations of Association‑supported investigators, clinicians and academic leaders were trained by Braunwald or guided by the clinical trial standards and mentorship models he helped establish.

https://t.co/ieZuHYMyOP

[Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt @DLBHATTMD]

PCSK9 inhibitor treatment and outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic #cardiovascular disease but without prior ischemic events: an observational study https://t.co/uIDcZN08UJ #cardiology #prevention @ESC_Journals @escardio @ehj_ed @TokgozogluLale

[BRIAN SUTTER @Brian_Sutter1]

Really compelling data from @FaroucJaffer showing that GLP-1 RAs may have direct atheroprotective effects via reduced plaque inflammation, independent of metabolic benefits, which opens up exciting possibilities for cardiovascular risk reduction in a much broader patient population.

[Mohamad Kassab @MohamadBKassab1]

GLP-1 meds: not just for weight loss, they are heart drugs.

Our study at @harvardmed shows drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy reduce plaque inflammation and cardiovascular events, independent of weight or glucose. #EHJ @mghcvrc @FaroucJaffer

https://t.co/xi5faVKak9

[Farouc Jaffer MD PhD @FaroucJaffer]

@DLBHATTMD thank you for your expert guidance in collaboration as well!

[Farouc Jaffer MD PhD @FaroucJaffer]

@sciqst thank you..appears to reasonable to consider RCTs in CAD/PAD patients without DM or obesity, as the next step.

[Farouc Jaffer MD PhD @FaroucJaffer]

Beyond glucose and weight loss: GLP-1 RAs reduce systemic inflammation, atherosclerosis inflammation and progression, and MACE —independent of diabetes or obesity

Key findings:

* Using serial intravascular NIRF-OCT inflammation and IVUS imaging, liraglutide reduced plaque inflammation and plaque progression in rabbits without obesity or diabetes;

* In the MGB Biobank, GLP-1 RA use reduced blood inflammation and MACE, regardless of A1c or BMI status;

* In human macrophages, three GLP-1RAs suppressed inflammatory cathepsin protease activity;

--> Intravascular NIRF-OCT offers the potential for inflammation imaging and anti-inflammatory drug assessment in human CAD

--> Time to investigate GLP-1RAs in all patients with CAD?

Collaborative, extended effort by @MohamadBKassab1 H.Khraishah A.Thrapp @ShadyAbohashem @ATawakolMD P.Libby @GTearney1 et al.  Our sincere thanks to the editors and reviewers @ehj_ed

https://t.co/pOqtyGcWLM