Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

AI-powered ECGs detect subtle changes in the heart brought on by COVID-19

The study's authors used more than 34,000 ECGs to train and test their model, publishing their findings in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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Combining AI with cardiac imaging helps predict heart attacks, cardiovascular deaths

The findings were presented virtually during the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's 2021 Annual Meeting.

Better Together? An Integrated Market for Calcium-modification Strategies

Rather than a binary choice—atherectomy or lithotripsy—the market for treating severely calcified lesions seems likely to evolve into a mixture of both technologies. That, in fact, is already occurring. One strategy gaining currency among interventionalists, particularly those in Europe, is to try a high-pressure balloon first in cases of moderately severe calcification and, if the device fails to fully expand, re-enter the vessel with atherectomy. 

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Surgery still more common than TMVR among AMI patients, but the gap is shrinking

The study's authors emphasized how important it is for clinicians to work together to determine the best treatment strategy. 

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Imaging advocates offer guidance after reported spate of SPECT/CT payment denials

The Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging said it’s received “many complaints” from the field pertaining to various commercial payers. 

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Yes, Apple’s iPhone can interfere with implantable cardiac devices—here’s what you should know

This issue “has the potential to inhibit lifesaving therapies,” according to a new analysis in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Cardiac MRI a ‘powerful’ tool for assessing, predicting pulmonary arterial hypertension

The new meta-analysis, published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imagingincluded data from 22 different studies. 

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Significant MR after TAVR linked to higher mortality rates—but staged interventions may help

Percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair was associated with improved outcomes among TAVR patients with persistent mitral regurgitation. 

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.