Echocardiography

Cardiac ultrasound uses reflected sound waves (echos) to create images of anatomy inside the body. Echocardiograms are the primary cardiac imaging modality used to assess the heart and diagnose or track cardiac issues. Echo is the gold standard imaging modality to assess the heart, particularly with calculating left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), which is a measure of cardiac output. In addition to noninvasive standard transthoracic echo (TTE), invasive transesophgeal echo (TEE) is also used when clearer, more detailed imaging of the heart is needed. Both 3D and 4D echo echo systems are rapidly gaining wider adoption and enable new types of assessments, especially in the structural heart space and in transcatheter procedural guidance. Find news on general ultrasound imaging.

Right heart cardiac ultrasound contrast agent for shunts enters U.S. trial
Currently there are no FDA cleared echocardiography contrast agents commercially available for use on the right side of the heart to detect shunts, but a new agent that promises to improve workflow and imaging is about to enter a U.S. trial.
A simple way to ensure more heart patients with severe AS receive the care they need
Sending helpful alerts through email and the electronic health record can make a significant impact on patient care, according to new data presented at ACC.25 and published in Circulation.
Key trends in diagnostic heart testing: CT on the rise as some traditional techniques fall out of favor
The cardiac technologies clinicians use for CVD evaluations have changed significantly in recent years, according to a new analysis of CMS data. While some modalities are on the rise, others are being utilized much less than ever before.
ASE updates recommendations for assessing right heart function in patients with pulmonary hypertension
The new guidelines were designed to ensure sonographers and other members of the heart team have the information they need to screen patients when appropriate and identify early warnings signs of PH.
Popular TAVR valves linked to comparable long-term outcomes
Second-generation TAVR valves from Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences and Boston Scientific are all associated with similar seven-year outcomes, according to a new retrospective study out of Italy.

CV programs struggling to keep up with growing demand for cardio-oncologists

Cardio-oncology has emerged as an area of rapid growth in the medical community in recent years, owing in large part to an increasing population of cancer survivors.

Genetic variant linked to chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy

The same genetic variants that have been uncovered in patients with two other types of cardiomyopathy are also present in an uncommonly high proportion of people with cancer therapy-induced cardiomyopathy (CCM), researchers reported in Circulation.

Ebit (Esaote Group) and DiA Imaging Analysis have partnered offering Advanced AI-based Cardiac Ultrasound Analysis

BE'ER SHEVA, Israel — Genoa, Italy — DiA Imaging Analysis, a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ultrasound analysis tools, announced today that it has partnered with the Italian healthcare IT company Ebit (Esaote Group), to offer DiA’s LVivo Cardiac Toolbox as an integrated part of Ebit's SUITESTENSA CVIS (Cardiovascular Information System) PACS.

Ultrasound societies want the FDA to remove contrast label warning

The International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS) is again urging the FDA to remove the “black box” warning from ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) labels, following its filing of a September 2018 citizen petition with the federal agency.

One Cardiology Center, Two Technologies and Countless Young Lives Saved or Improved

Sponsored by Hitachi Healthcare Americas

A family from Pennsylvania’s Plain People community, which consists primarily of Amish and Mennonite families, recently took their child to Cardiology Care for Children (CCC), a small yet regionally renowned practice in Lancaster.

American Society of Echocardiography unveils new guidelines for comprehensive TTE

The American Society of Echocardiography has released new guidelines for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examination. The recommendations, which were endorsed by 22 other cardiology/echocardiography societies from around the world, were published in the January edition of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography.

Can cardiac MRI replace echocardiography for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension?

Cardiac MRI can accurately diagnose patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to an Oct. 23 study published in Radiology. Results may help improve PH detection rates and enhance care for patients with severe cases.

Prior cardiotoxicity linked to 30% increased risk of CHF during pregnancy

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.

Echocardiography

Right heart cardiac ultrasound contrast agent for shunts enters U.S. trial

A simple way to ensure more heart patients with severe AS receive the care they need

Key trends in diagnostic heart testing: CT on the rise as some traditional techniques fall out of favor

ASE updates recommendations for assessing right heart function in patients with pulmonary hypertension

Popular TAVR valves linked to comparable long-term outcomes