Erin Stevens explained the technical aspects for a successful PET program. #ASNC #thinkPET

Key steps to implementing a successful PET program

Getting technologists, physicians and administrators to work together is a crucial part of any PET program. Research is also essential. Cardiovascular Business spoke to a specialist on the topic to learn more.

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New Category I CPT codes announced for treating heart failure with implantable Barostim device

Baroreflex activation therapy with the Barostim device from CVRx has received new CPT codes from the American Medical Association. The codes go into effect in January 2026.

Shockwave Newsletter

MedAxiom partners with Shockwave Medical to support ‘game-changing’ IVL technology

Shockwave Medical, now a part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, continues to gain momentum among U.S. cardiologists. According to one MedAxiom executive, IVL "brings an important dimension to cardiovascular care for patients with calcified coronary and peripheral arterial disease."

Advanced device-based therapies are associated with significant benefits for heart failure patients and should be used alongside traditional pharmaceutical treatments, according to a new scientific statement from the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). The statement, published in full in the Journal of Cardiac Failure, examines a number of new-look medical devices that have emerged in recent years as additional ways to treat heart failure.

Cardiologists make case for increasing use of device-based therapies for heart failure

Device-based therapies can provide considerable value for heart failure patients when used alongside traditional pharmaceutical treatments. A new HFSA scientific statement outlines the benefits of these devices, urging care teams to implement them into daily practice. 

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Cardiologist compensation still rising, especially in invasive and interventional cardiology

Updated compensation data includes good news for multiple subspecialties. The new report also examines private equity's impact on employment models and how much male cardiologists earn compared to females.

Overview of the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with arrhythmogenesis in the setting of COVID-19 infection. Image from Circulation.

AHA issues a scientific statement on COVID-19 cardiac arrhythmias

The objective of the AHA scientific statement is to review the available evidence on for better management of cardiac arrhythmias from COVID causes that are still encountered on a regular basis.

Example of an automated artificial intelligence (AI) assessment of soft coronary plaque from a CT scan from the vendor Cleerly. The AI gives a very detailed report of all the plaque in all the coronary vessels. Some cardiology experts believe this may be the way of the future in screening patients for early coronary disease and monitoring the impact of prevention efforts such as statins to determine if more aggressive treatments are needed.

Medicare administrative contractors approve coverage of AI-enabled quantitative CT

Four of the seven Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) announced they will now cover artificial intelligence-enabled quantitative coronary tomography (AI-QCT) and coronary plaque analysis (AI-CPA). 

Cardiologists have performed what they believe to be the world’s first substernal lead extraction, sharing their experience in JACC: Case Reports.[1]The device being extracted, Medtronic’s Aurora EV-ICD, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in October 2023.

Cardiologists perform world’s first substernal lead extraction

The 49-year-old patient was not in pain or suffering any complications, but he wished to have his extravascular ICD removed once his symptoms improved. The care team agreed to extract it after a long discussion, and they said it was "easier than expected." 

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.