Women with a history of cardiotoxicity from previous cancer treatments are around 30 percent more likely to experience clinical congestive heart failure (CHF) before, during or after pregnancy, according to research published ahead of print in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

MRI measurements of carotid wall thickness improve predictions of cardiovascular disease risk more than a commonly used ultrasound-based test, according to research published Oct. 9 in Radiology.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) can be closely approximated using conventional coronary angiography and propriety software, according to the FAST-FFR study published online in Circulation. The findings offer a potential route for more patients with suspected coronary artery disease to receive functional assessment of lesions without the need for a guidewire or hyperemic agents.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan have identified a new approach for imaging the progression of atherosclerotic plaque in vivo, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.

Assessment of abdominal aortic calcification using computed tomography (CT) is a highly effective predictor of future heart attack and CVD risk, according to research published in Radiology Oct. 2—more effective even than the Framingham risk score, which has been relied upon for more than two decades.

With additional testing for nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), researchers effectively diagnosed microvascular and/or vasospastic angina—as well as non-cardiac related chest pain—and used that information to guide therapy decisions and significantly improve angina and quality-of-life outcomes.

Compared to heart failure patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation who were treated with guideline-directed medical therapy alone, those randomized to a MitraClip procedure plus optimal medical therapy demonstrated relative reductions of 47 percent for heart failure hospitalizations and 38 percent for mortality at two years of follow-up.

Researchers have developed cardiology’s first pipeline for automated echocardiogram interpretation—an innovation that could cut healthcare costs while expanding care to underserved communities, according to a study published online this week in Circulation.