Clinical expertise
Dr Mahmoud Barbir is a clinical cardiologist with a special interest in:
- causes of coronary heart disease (risk factors, hypertension and lipid disorders)
- CT coronary angiography
- cardiac catheterisation
- management of lipid disorders
- statins
- PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies and lipoprotein apheresis
He is the lead physician in familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) in adults and children, genetic screening and lipoprotein apheresis.
Locations
Our specialist provides care at these locations:
Biography
Dr Mahmoud Barbir is a consultant cardiologist at Harefield Hospital.
He graduated in 1980 from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He did his initial training in general medicine and cardiology in Dublin at St James’s Hospital and Richmond Hospital.
In 1985, Dr Barbir came to London and started a British Heart Foundation research fellowship at Hammersmith Hospital for two years. He subsequently completed three years of training in clinical cardiology.
In 1988, he completed clinical research at Harefield Hospital working under Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub and went on to complete further training in the department of cardiology. In 1993, he became a consultant at Harefield Hospital.
Research
Dr Mahmoud Barbir’s main research interests include:
- FH
- refractory angina
- hyperlipidaemia (when the concentration of triglycerides or cholesterol in the blood is too high)
- primary and secondary prevention
- CT coronary calcification
- angiography
He is also involved in research on lipid-lowering therapies, including lipoprotein apheresis (LDL apheresis), refractory angina and dyslipidaemia in transplant recipients.
Some of his research projects include:
- FH cascade study
- cardiac rehabilitation for the treatment of refractory angina and syndrome X
- role of computed tomography in risk assessment for coronary heart disease
- improve-It: Examining Outcomes in Subjects With Acute Coronary Syndrome
- LDL apheresis: indications and clinical experience in a tertiary centre
- lipoprotein apheresis for refractory angina
He also organises and chairs meetings in clinical cardiology for GPs and specialist registrars.
Teaching
Dr Mahmoud Barbir is the lead supervisor for a PhD student as well as teaching master’s students in cardiology at Imperial College London. He is also involved in teaching students from UCL.
He welcomes overseas students who are willing to learn and expand their knowledge in the UK. He has taught many international students who had honorary clinical attachments at the Trust.
In 2012, Dr Mahmoud Barbir presented at the first international conference on FH in children and adolescents in Athens, Greece. He presented on the treatments available to patients including lipoprotein apheresis for those who do not respond to medication. The Trust is the largest of only eight UK centres that can offer this treatment.
In 2013, Dr Barbir also presented at the sixth EU round table on FH in Berlin. He was the organiser and co-chairman of the Royal Society of Medicine preventative cardiology training day for SpRs 2013.
Publications
Dr Mahmoud Barbir has published more than 40 original manuscripts in medical journals, which include The Lancet, Circulation and the International Journal of Cardiology.
He has also contributed to many reviews and textbook chapters which include the following:
- hyperlipidaemia and graft atherosclerosis
- lipids and vascular disease
- prevention of cardiovascular disease
- lipids in heart transplant patients
- severe hypercholesterolaemia: therapeutic goals and eligibility criteria for LDL apheresis in Europe
- epidemiology and risk factors for diseases of the coronary arteries
- the role of CT in risk assessment for coronary heart disease
He is also a regular reviewer for the International Journal of Cardiology and other transplant journals.
