As coronary CT angiography (CCTA) continues its rapid expansion, scanner vendors are now offering more economical solutions to ensure access to imaging technology beyond premium systems most often only found at flagship hospitals and academic centers. To conquer CCTA’s technical challenges, new technologies and AI are being incorporated into a new scanner to simplify acquisition and consistently improve image quality. 

Exposure to scatter radiation and orthopedic issues related to years of wearing lead aprons during long EP procedures has led electrophysiologists to seek out new ways to reduce the need for angiographic X-ray.

Advancements in radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation technology have been incremental over the past 30 years in efforts to improve safety, procedural efficiency and patient outcomes. While some newer technologies have gained a lot of attention in electrophysiology (EP) over the past several years, RF remains the solid frontline treatment.

"The onus is on us as cardiologists to make sure we offer the very best possible devices for our patients with the available data that we have," interventional cardiologist Anene Ukaigwe, MD, explained. 

Women with cardiovascular disease are consistently underdiagnosed and undertreated compared to men, and those disparities are true for aortic stenosis as well. Women with symptomatic severe AS are up to 35% less likely than men to undergo aortic valve replacement, for example, and they often have to wait longer just to be referred for further care.

The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) says positron emission tomography (PET) nuclear imaging has seen wider adoption in the past few years, and many cardiac imaging experts say it could become the workhorse technology for nuclear cardiac assessments over the next decade. 

TAVR is a go-to treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in much of the world, thanks in large part to the hard work of research teams that never stop looking for new, innovative ways to make the technology more effective.

TAVR procedures have surged more than 30% since 2020, with more than 107,000 patients receiving a new prosthetic valve in 2023 alone. As this trend continues, it’s increasingly important that cardiologists consider the long-term impact on future coronary interventions patients may need.