Kuseme MD

IM resident PGY2🩺 | Interests in preventive cardiology🫀 heart failure | Advocate for Women’s cardiac health🤰🏽👩🏽‍⚕️🩸 #hearthealthtalk

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

“My A1c is 7.5…it’s just diabetes, right”?

❌No. Diabetes ≠ just “high sugar.”
It’s one of the leading causes of heart disease.
#hearthealthtalk #Meded #Cardiology

High glucose → damages blood vessels, accelerates plaque build-up 🧱, raises BP 📈 & cholesterol 🧬, and fuels inflammation 🔥.
👉 Result: heart disease is the leading cause of death in diabetic patients.
⚠️Adults with diabetes are 2–4x more likely to have heart attacks 💔, strokes 🧠, or develop heart failure 🫀

The good news ✅:
💉 Keep blood sugar in range
💊 Control BP & cholesterol
🏃 Exercise regularly
🚭 Quit smoking
🥗 Eat a heart-healthy diet
📋 Take meds as prescribed
Managing diabetes = protecting your heart. ❤️‍🩹
#hearthealthtalk #diabetes @ACCinTouch

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

One thing never changes:
🫀 Diet, exercise, weight loss, and sodium restriction are recommended at EVERY stage.

This week we’ll break down hypertension management one step at a time.

#CardioTwitter #Cardiology #MedE

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

🩺This week will be taking a closer look at high blood pressure, latest developments in guidelines and what the AHA actually wants you to do at each level. 👇
#CardioTwitter #MedEd #Cardiology

🟡 120–129 / <80 (Elevated)
→ No medications
→ Lifestyle changes only

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

🟠 130–139 / 80–89 (Stage 1)
→ Calculate 10-year ASCVD risk
→ High risk? Start medication
→ Low risk? Lifestyle first

🔴 ≥140 / ≥90 (Stage 2)
→ Lifestyle + 2-drug therapy
→ Goal BP <130/80

🚨 >180 / >120
→Look for end-organ damage first.
→ The presence (or absence) of damage determines urgency.

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

Stage A &amp; B are where we have the most to gain. Early intervention saves lives — and LV function.

#Cardiology #HeartFailure #CardioTwitter #HFrEF #Prevention

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

A few days ago we talked about symptoms of heart failure, today let’s talk about the classification

🫀 Not all heart failure is the same.

The ACC/AHA framework breaks it into 4 stages — and catching it early makes all the difference👇

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

🔵 Stage A – Risk factors present, no structural changes yet. Prevention starts here.
🟢 Stage B – Structural heart disease is present, but the patient has not developed symptoms.
🟠 Stage C –Structural heart disease with current or prior symptoms of heart failure.
🔴 Stage D – Refractory HF. Advanced therapies: LVAD, transplant, or palliative pathway.

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

Heart failure progresses through 4 stages (A–D), and catching it early — in Stage A or B — before symptoms become severe is when treatment is most effective. 

🩺 Patients most at risk include those with
✅HTN,
✅diabetes,
✅family history

#HeartFailure #Cardiology #hearthealthtalk

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

Fatigue and breathlessness are some of the earliest signs of heart failure to spot 🫀

Here’s what the full picture actually looks like 👇

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

🫁 Shortness of breath — especially during activity or when lying flat
😮‍💨 Persistent cough or wheezing — fluid backs up into the lungs
🦵 Swelling in feet, ankles & legs (edema) — fluid retention building up
😴 Unexplained fatigue — your heart isn’t pumping efficiently
⚖️ Sudden weight gain — gaining 2–3 lbs in a day or 5 lbs in a week  can signal worsening congestion
💓 Racing or irregular heartbeat — your heart compensating for weakness

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

The numbers are staggering:
📊 CHD is responsible for nearly 40% of cardiovascular deaths in the U.S.
💀 375,476 deaths in 2021 alone
💰 Over $200 billion spent annually on heart disease care and medications

⚠️ The silent threat: CAD can build for YEARS before symptoms appear.

#CoronaryHeartDisease #Cardiotwitter #hearthealthtalk

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

Did you know that every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a heart attack? 💔

Most are caused by Coronary heart Disease (CHD)

Here’s what happens 👇

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

🩸 High cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure damage the arteries over time

🧱 Cholesterol and inflammatory cells build up inside the artery wall, forming plaque

⚡ A plaque ruptures → clot forms → blood flow is blocked → HEART ATTACK

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

💬 More heart talk — real, evidence-based, and digestible
🔬 Sneak peeks into the latest cardiology research hot off the press
📊 Clinical insights you can actually use
❤️ A community for everyone who lives and breathes cardiovascular medicine

Let’s keep building a world where everyone’s heart is safe
#Cardiology #CardioTwitter #hearthealthtalk

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

Long time no see, X! 👋🫀 I’ve missed this space and honestly, cardiology never stops moving, so neither can I.
I’m back and there’s a whole lot to expect

[Ritika Tuli @RitikaTuliMD]

For some reason, statins continue to be one of the most feared medications on the internet.

Especially in the South Asian community, I hear:
“Statins cause dementia.”
“They destroy your liver.”
“They’re only pushed by Big Pharma.”
“I’d rather do things naturally.”

Well — you SHOULD ask questions.

You SHOULD understand what you’re putting into your body.
You SHOULD look at the data yourself.
But make sure your research includes actual evidence, not just viral reels, WhatsApp forwards, or fear-based anecdotes.

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and South Asians are at particularly high risk — often at younger ages and lower body weights.

Statins are not magic pills. They don’t replace lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, sleep, or prevention.
But for the right patient, they can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

No medication is perfect. Side effects can happen. Medicine should always be individualized.
But anecdotes and observational data should not stop someone from considering a therapy that has decades of RCT level evidence behind it.

Empower yourself with information. Ask questions. Read studies. Talk to physicians you trust.
Not every viral opinion is expertise.

The heart attack that never happened because prevention worked… is invisible.

#CardioNuggets #Cardiology #Prevention #HeartHealth #Statins #Cholesterol #SouthAsianHealth

[Gurleen Kaur, MD @Gurleen_Kaur96]

Always so great to hangout with the @CardioNerds crew! #ACC26

If you are a resident or fellow interested in cardiology &amp; medical education, apply to join the next cohort of the CardioNerds Academy ⤵️

🔗https://t.co/G8hFTxpj73

[Kuseme MD @Kuseme__]

FIT JEOPARDY: Preliminary around. Live at the ACC.26
#ACC @ACCinTouch

[American College of Cardiology @ACCinTouch]

From setup to showtime, everything is coming to life. 🫀

A final walkthrough with #ACC26 Chair Katie Berlacher, MD, MS, FACC, Vice Chair Julie Damp, MD, FACC, and CV Team Lead Kristen Campbell, PharmD, CPP, FACC. 👀

The wait is almost over. Let the #ACC26 experience begin! 🎉

[Prakash Upreti MD @DrLubDubMD]

Don’t want to wait in long lines to pick up your badge when the conference starts?

✈️ Good news for #ACC26 attendees:
You can pick up your conference badge at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Friday itself and skip the rush at the venue.
Arrive → Grab your badge → Head to the meeting stress-free 🙌
#Cardiology #CardioTwitter
@ACCinTouch @JACCJournals

[Christian Ken Fukunaga @christiankfuku]

#ACC26 is going to be BIG and if you haven’t downloaded the app yet, you’re already behind.

With hundreds of sessions, #LateBreakingTrials, and can’t-miss conversations happening all at once, planning ahead isn’t optional 👉 it’s essential.

The #ACC26 app makes it easy to:
✅ Build your personalized schedule
✅ Bookmark key sessions
✅ Stay on top of real-time updates
✅ Navigate everything without the chaos

I’ve already started mapping out my agenda—and trust me, there’s a LOT you won’t want to miss.

Download the app. Plan ahead. Maximize your ACC experience.

#ACC26 #Cardiology #ACCScientificSession #MedTwitter #CardioX