Heart Nexus 2026 — Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Sematide – A Pathway to Comprehensive Metabolic Care with Evidence

I delivered my first international scientific presentation at Heart Nexus 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where I discussed contemporary evidence and the evolving role of comprehensive metabolic care in patients with cardiometabolic disease. This presentation also touched on the significance of cardiac electrophysiology and the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in managing such conditions.

International Scientific Presentation | Heart Nexus 2026

I delivered the opening lecture at the 18th Annual ECG Workshop, representing the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology. My presentation focused on a structured, systematic approach to ECG interpretation, which is essential in the field of cardiac electrophysiology.  

Organised in collaboration with the Pakistan Heart Rhythm Society, the workshop provided an educational programme for clinicians at different stages of training, including topics on implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Contributing to this programme reflects my continuing commitment to practical clinical teaching and strengthening cardiovascular education through impactful medical presentations.

Representing the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, I delivered a presentation exploring atrial fibrillation as an emerging burden and the promise of finerenone, with a focus on its implications in cardiac electrophysiology. Delivered before lunch, this was my second lecture at the workshop, complementing the opening presentation on systematic ECG interpretation. Together, these contributions, including discussions on implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, reflected my commitment to teaching both the clinical foundations and evolving subjects within cardiovascular medicine.

I delivered a presentation on “Sinus Node Dysfunction” at the 4th Quarterly ECG Workshop at PAF Hospital, invited by my former supervisor at AFIC, Brig (Retd) Professor Azmat Hayat, and Dr. Hassan Kamal, Head of Cardiac Electrophysiology. This workshop gathered leading experts in cardiac electrophysiology from across Pakistan for academic discussions and the exchange of knowledge. Having actively participated in all four Quarterly ECG Workshops, I cherish this ongoing opportunity to enhance education in ECG and electrophysiology, particularly considering the importance of advancements such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. I was honoured to receive a commemorative shield from Air Vice Marshal Sohail Akbar, Director General Medical Services, Pakistan Air Force. My sincere thanks to the organisers and fellow faculty for their enduring commitment to strengthening clinical education in Pakistan through impactful medical presentations.

I was invited to give a presentation on translating contemporary hypertension and heart-failure guidelines into practical bedside management, with insights into cardiac electrophysiology. The talk focused on blood-pressure targets across HF phenotypes, optimisation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), management of permissive hypotension, rational drug sequencing and titration, and strategies to maintain life-saving therapy despite hyperkalaemia or borderline blood pressure. Particular emphasis was placed on balancing intensive BP control in HFpEF with maximally tolerated disease-modifying therapy in HFrEF, and the role of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in enhancing patient outcomes was also highlighted during the medical presentations.

I was invited to give a presentation focusing on the close relationship between hypertension and atrial fibrillation, highlighting AF prevention through optimal blood-pressure control, systematic detection, stroke prevention with appropriate anticoagulation, and early rhythm-control strategies. This presentation bridged contemporary evidence and guidelines into a practical ‘Prevent–Detect–Protect’ approach for everyday cardiovascular practice, including insights from cardiac electrophysiology and the role of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in managing these conditions.

I delivered the cardiac perspective at the SlimPossible Symposium, where I explored the intricate relationship between obesity, metabolic disease, and cardiovascular health. In my presentation, I reviewed landmark cardiovascular outcome trials and emerging evidence on therapies including tirzepatide, emphasizing their implications for cardiometabolic and cardiorenal care, as well as their relevance to cardiac electrophysiology and the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in treatment strategies. The multidisciplinary session featured Dr. Kashif Raashid presenting the metabolic perspective, with Dr. Urooj Yasir serving as moderator. Organised by Ferozsons Laboratories, the symposium concluded with Professor Dr. Saleem Qureshi presenting me with a commemorative shield in recognition of my contributions to medical presentations.

At the 7th Karachi Electrophysiology Summit 2026, I presented a practical framework for the use of primary-prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in low- and middle-income countries, a crucial aspect of cardiac electrophysiology. 

The presentation examined the tension between the established survival benefits of these devices and the realities of limited resources, out-of-pocket expenses, competing mortality rates, and the necessity for lifelong device follow-up. The central argument emphasized that ICD therapy should not be reduced to merely an ejection-fraction threshold. 

A high-value ICD pathway requires an appropriate arrhythmic substrate, correct timing after guideline-directed medical therapy and revascularization, a reasonable survival horizon, low competing mortality, and a health system capable of providing safe implantation, programming, surveillance, complication management, and generator replacement. 

In conclusion, primary-prevention ICDs remain lifesaving therapy when they are strategically targeted, appropriately timed, and effectively supported. The appropriate strategy for low- and middle-income countries is selective access rather than blanket denial, aiming to maximize lives saved per device, as discussed in this medical presentation.

On 30 July 2026, I presented an educational heart-failure case at the KICKOFF KITE Scientific Forum at Pearl Continental Hotel, Rawalpindi, focusing on the management of acute decompensated HFrEF complicated by atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, a common scenario in the field of cardiac electrophysiology.  

The session employed the KITE framework - Know the Patient, Interpret the Evidence, Translate into Practice, Elevate Outcomes - to guide participants through the initial moments of a high-risk presentation. We covered topics ranging from emergency rhythm management and treatment of precipitating infection and congestion, to the initiation of guideline-directed medical therapy, discharge planning, and longer-term reassessment for rhythm and device therapy, including the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) as appropriate.  

A central theme of the presentation was that acute heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and infection should not be treated as separate entities. In a patient who is hypoxic, hypotensive, and in pulmonary edema, the altered rhythm may itself be part of the hemodynamic emergency. Therefore, management requires rapid recognition of the clinical phenotype, treatment of the underlying trigger, appropriate rhythm rescue, careful decongestion, and structured follow-up.  

Key learning points:  

- Recognise the phenotype: Congestion, hypoxaemia, and low blood pressure identify a high-risk acute heart-failure presentation.  

- AF may be the emergency: Unstable atrial fibrillation in pulmonary edema may necessitate urgent synchronized cardioversion rather than prolonged attempts at rate control.  

- Treat the trigger: Infection, arrhythmia, and heart failure frequently exacerbate one another and should be addressed within a unified clinical pathway.  

- Start recovery before discharge: Once haemodynamics, renal function, and electrolytes allow, the four foundations of HFrEF therapy should be introduced and progressively titrated.  

- Follow-up is treatment: Early review, laboratory monitoring, therapy titration, and repeat assessment of LV function are essential for determining long-term decisions regarding rhythm and devices like ICDs.  

The presentation also emphasized the importance of providing a recovery window before making decisions regarding primary-prevention ICD or CRT unless another urgent indication exists. Throughout, we highlighted the goal of turning a complex admission into a repeatable, multidisciplinary pathway that can enhance outcomes beyond the index hospitalization.  

Speaker: Dr. Qurban Hussain Khan, FHRS  

Assistant Professor of Cardiac Electrophysiology  

Medical Superintendent, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology

Dr. Qurban Hussain Khan delivered an invited teaching session in cardiac electrophysiology at the Pre-CardioCon 2026 ECG Workshop - Complex ECG Decoded, held at the Cardiac Center, PIMS, Islamabad. 

The presentation addresses one of the most significant diagnostic challenges in acute arrhythmia care: assessing regular wide-complex tachycardia and distinguishing between ventricular tachycardia (VT) and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with aberrant conduction, particularly relevant for practitioners involved with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

At the heart of the presentation is the practical A-B-C-D-E approach to ECG interpretation: 

A - Axis: assessment for extreme or "northwest" axis deviation.  

B - Broad complexes: recognition of marked QRS prolongation.  

C - Concordance: identification of positive or negative precordial concordance.  

D - Dissociation: assessment for AV dissociation, capture beats, and fusion beats.  

E - Early QRS: examination of the initial part of ventricular activation for features favoring VT or SVT with aberrancy.

The session then applies this framework through a series of interactive ECG cases, enhancing the understanding of differential diagnosis for broad-complex tachycardia. These examples include not only ventricular tachycardia but also important mimics such as pre-excitation, electrolyte disturbances, ventricular pacing, and SVT with aberrancy, making it a valuable resource for medical presentations. 

The aim of the session is to equip cardiologists, physicians, and trainees with a structured and memorable approach to wide-complex tachycardia, blending clinical probability with a focused assessment of ECG morphology. 

Key learning themes: 

Clinical context matters. A history of myocardial infarction, structural heart disease, and increasing age heightens the likelihood of VT in patients presenting with regular wide-complex tachycardia.  

No single feature should be interpreted in isolation. The A-B-C-D-E approach offers a systematic method for examining multiple ECG features that support a VT diagnosis.  

Pattern recognition improves with practice. The interactive cases reinforce this framework by challenging the audience to differentiate VT from common mimics. 

Presented by:  

Dr. Qurban Hussain Khan, FHRS  

Assistant Professor of Cardiac Electrophysiology  

Medical Superintendent, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology