Skip to main content

Robert John Mentz

Associate Professor of Medicine
Medicine, Cardiology
NP-8062, DCRI. PO Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715
NP-8062, DCRI. PO Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715

Overview


I am a cardiologist with a clinical and research interest in heart failure (going from Failure to Function), including advanced therapies such as cardiac transplantation and mechanical assist devices or “heart pumps."

I serve our group as Chief of the Heart Failure Section.

I became a heart failure cardiologist in order to help patients manage their chronic disease over many months and years. I consider myself strongly committed to compassionate patient care with a focus on quality of life and patient preference.

I am the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Cardiac Failure - The official journal of the Heart Failure Society of America.

My research interests are focused on treating co-morbid diseases in heart failure patients and improving outcomes across the cardiovascular spectrum through clinical trials and outcomes research. Below, you will find my specific research interests:

  •     Cardiometabolic disease
  •     Co-morbidity characterization (diabetes, sleep apnea, renal failure) in heart failure
  •     Phenotypic characterization and risk prognostication of patients with heart failure
  •     Role of surrogate and nonfatal endpoints in clinical heart failure trials
  •     Biomarkers in heart failure
  •     Novel pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to heart failure
  •     Improving site-based heart failure research

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Medicine · 2023 - Present Medicine, Cardiology, Medicine
Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2020 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments
Member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute · 2014 - Present Duke Clinical Research Institute, Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published March 29, 2024
We Love Eggs, But Want Healthy Cholesterol
Published August 28, 2023
Intravenous Iron Treatment May Benefit Heart Patients
Published July 14, 2022
Duke-UNC Health Project Wins 3rd Place in American Heart Association Heart Failure Data Challenge

View All News

Recent Publications


Towards a person-centered after-visit summary to facilitate improved heart failure care (HF-AVS): A scoping review and call to action.

Journal Article Am Heart J · May 2025 Person-centered care (PCC) has been advanced as an optimal model for chronic heart failure management in multiple guidelines. However, fulfilling the ideal of this model requires overcoming healthcare fragmentation via effective provider-to-patient communi ... Full text Link to item Cite

In-Hospital or Out-of-Hospital Initiation of Sacubitril/Valsartan Versus Valsartan in Patients With Mildly Reduced or Preserved Ejection Fraction After A Worsening Heart Failure Event: The PARAGLIDE-HF Trial.

Journal Article J Am Heart Assoc · March 4, 2025 BACKGROUND: Efficacy and tolerability of sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) is not well characterized in heart failure (HF) with ejection fraction >40% initiated in-hospital. Thus, this prespecified PARAGLIDE-HF (Prospective Comparison of ARNI With ARB Given F ... Full text Link to item Cite

Association of Double-Blind Reviews With Increases in Women as First Authors: An Initial Report From the Journal of Cardiac Failure.

Journal Article J Card Fail · March 2025 INTRODUCTION: Women continue to remain under-represented in academic publishing in the field of cardiology. Some evidence suggests that double-blind peer reviews may mitigate the impact of gender bias. In July 2021, the Journal of Cardiac Failure implement ... Full text Link to item Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Research Triangle Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2023 - 2028

BalanceD-HF

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by AstraZeneca UK Limited · 2024 - 2027

Physical Rehabilitation for Older Patients with Acute HFpEF-The REHAB-HFpEF Trial - Trial Administration

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Wake Forest University Health Sciences · 2022 - 2027

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


Emory University · 2003 M.D.