For 25 years, Ashok Krishnaswami, MD, has maintained an intensive clinical schedule while pursuing a busy research career aimed at improving care for older adults with cardiovascular disease. His research addresses critical issues in geriatric cardiology including deprescribing, digital health, cognitive disorders, and outcomes related to percutaneous and surgical cardiovascular procedures.
“I started doing research in clinical trials, where I was a local principal investigator for multicenter trials,” says Dr. Krishnaswami, chief of cardiology with KP Greater San Jose Area. “I realized that asking somebody else’s questions wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to do. How do I ask the questions that I want?”
The answer was to pursue training in clinical research methodology at the University of California, San Francisco, and since then Dr. Krishnaswami has been principal investigator of more than a dozen research studies. “My work is focused on looking beyond the patient’s chronological age to understand their biological age and level of frailty.”
Dr. Krishnaswami is a national leader in the American College of Cardiology, and has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed or web-based articles and given about 100 scientific presentations.
“His publications have directly contributed to greater awareness of the importance of geriatric conditions in cardiovascular decision-making, shaping how aging-related factors are integrated into cardiovascular clinical practice,” says Meena Pai, MD, physician-in-chief of KP Greater San Jose Area.
And Dr. Krishnaswami helps to train the next generation of physicians as a lecturer and mentor for TPMG’s graduate medical education programs (Internal Medicine and Cardiology).
“Dr. Krishnaswami points out that we need to think carefully about older adults with complex geriatric conditions and how the risks and benefits of invasive cardiac procedures may differ for them,” says Betty Suh-Burgmann, MD, chair of the KP Northern California Central Research Committee. “With dedication and perseverance, he is translating his research findings into better care for older patients.”