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.

Anjali Owens, MD, medical director, Center for Inherited Cardiac Disease, associate professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the need for standardization in HCM care. #ASE #ASE23 #ASE2023 #HCM

More consistency, standardization still needed when treating HCM

Anjali Owens, MD, discussed the past, present and future of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy care in the United States. "What we are aiming to do is develop a minimum standard for assessments of patients with HCM so they are getting properly diagnosed and managed," she explained. 

Peter Libby, MD, explains how infections cause heart attacks. This came out of research taking a close look at COVID, but the inflammation from any infection may cause increased inflammation of coronary plaques that cause heart attacks. #COVID #COVID19

Do infections cause heart attacks? Lessons from COVID

COVID-19 opened the eyes of many cardiology researchers that infections may promote inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques, leading to cardiac events.

The 25 best U.S. cardiology hospitals ranked

U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of heart hospitals named Cleveland Clinic No. 1, once again, but there were many changes among the other top 25 hospitals. 

SCCT President Ed Nicol, MD, explains key trends trends in cardiac CT imaging at the 2023 meeting. #SCCT #SCCT23 #SCCT2023

Key trends and takeaways in cardiac CT at SCCT 2023

Several key trends at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography were outlined by society President Ed Nicol, MD, including AI, reimbursement issue, business management discussions, and a growing interest in cardiac CT leading to record attendance this year.

The team that implanted the first TaurusTrio TAVR valve at Beijing An Zhen Hospital, Capital Medical University in July 2023.

Chinese made version of JenaValve TAVR device implanted in first patient

The first patient was enrolled in a multicenter clinical trial for the TaurusTrio transcatheter aortic valve replacement system, used for aortic regurgitation.

HeartFlow's RoadMap technology where AI reads the image in a first pass to highlight areas of interest with for the radiologist or cardiologist on coronary CT scan. The technology was shown to reduce reading time by 25%.

Three studies show value of AI to speed cardiac CT reads and soft plaque evaluation 

AI to help interpret cardiac CT was shown to reduce exam read times to improve workflow efficiency, and improve patient diagnostics with additional information on soft plaques. Data was presented in three HeartFlow AI technology studies at SCCT 2023.

FDA clears new AI to guide point-of-care cardiac ultrasound exams

The FDA approved UltraSight's AI to show ultrasound users how to perform a diagnostic quality cardiac ultrasound exam at the point of care in multiple settings.

A transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure being performed at Intermountain Healthcare. Image from Intermountain Healthcare

Atrial fibrillation after TAVR linked to much higher risk of death, heart failure

Researchers tracked data from nearly 7,000 TAVR patients for two years, focusing on all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalizations.