After months of consideration, CMS has officially signed off on major changes to its TAVR policies. The treatment of asymptomatic patients is now covered by Medicare, for example, and fewer reporting requirements are in place when symptomatic patients undergo treatment.

The advanced algorithm, built to detect STEMI and STEMI-equivalent patterns in ECG results, gained the FDA's breakthrough device designation back in 2025.

The new ASNC document includes detailed SPECT- and PET-specific protocols, patient preparation recommendations and a fresh look at safety.

“It’s not just about scanning,” one specialist explained. “You need to have everything come together.”

The new device, which already gained CE mark approval, allows users to switch back and forth from one technique to the other as necessary. 

"I want to be safe, I want to get the vessel open and I don’t want to spend a long time doing it," cardiologist William C. Dixon, MD, explains. "IVL helps me achieve all of those things.” 

If a malfunction does occur, Stryker warned, it could impact the device's effectiveness. No adverse events have been reported at this time.

A majority of TAVR patients also present with a history of heart failure. New research suggests many of them are not being prescribed the medications they need.

Questions about menopause, oral contraceptive use and hormone replacement therapy should all be part of the conversation when evaluating a woman's cardiovascular health.

Pelacarsen, an investigational heart drug developed by Novartis, did successfully reduce Lp(a) levels in high-risk heart patients. However, it was unable to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events among those patients.