Cardiology

Cardiology drives innovation

‘Cardiology is one of the most innovative medical disciplines. Many modern technologies, such as catheterisations or imaging procedures, were triggered by cardiology,’ declared Professor Dr Gerald Maurer MD.

Article • Healing hearts 1

Bioresorbable stents

Cardiologists believe they can restore coronary arteries thanks to a new generation of stents that help the body to strengthen collapsed vessels. Elsewhere, patients’ own stem cells are being programmed to rebuild cardiac muscle in HF patients.

Turbulences in ultrasound

Ultrasound expands its role in cardiac imaging with disruptive applications. Fasten your seat belt. Cardiac diagnostics is entering a zone of turbulence. Manufacturers of leading systems continue to mine data from the sonic signal that opens new fields for research. John Brosky reports

Enhancement in minimally-invasive treatment of heart rhythm disorders

The Catharina Hospital (Eindhoven, the Netherlands) and Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today announced the results of a clinical study involving the treatment of 136 patients with complex heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF).

CT will remain an imaging heavyweight

Computed tomography (CT) is the modality of choice for many diagnostic issues. Whilst currently its major strength is the visualisation of anatomical detail, future technological improvements may also reduce radiation exposure.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

The potential of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is still largely untapped. One novel application might be ablation follow-up. The first MRI-guided cardiac interventions were performed at Herzzentrum Leipzig, but, as far as coronary imaging is concerned, MDCT remains superior to MRI

Reduced dose breakthrough for coronary CT imaging

Researchers in Germany have suggested that, for certain patients, newly developed coronary CT angiography techniques can provide good quality images with very low dose radiation.

New ESC Cardiac Pacing and Resynchronization Guidelines

The 2013 ESC Guidelines on Cardiac Pacing and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy¹ developed in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), have created a new classification system for bradyarrhythmias according to mechanisms rather than aetiology.

Smoking leads to five-fold increase in heart disease and stroke

Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by five-fold in people under the age of 50 and doubles risk in the over-60s.

From bad breath to cardiac infarction

More than half of Germany’s population aged between 18 and 74 years cannot show off a gapless set of teeth, and that’s similar in France and worse only in Poland, according to a 2012 study, which also investigated oral hygiene.

Routine clinical use will take another decade

Numerous cardiac muscle cells die following myocardial infarction, due to reduced blood flow in the affected muscle areas. What remains is a scar, which also mechanically affects cardiac pumping. The muscle itself has no, or hardly any, capacity to regenerate itself.

Pacemakers, defibrillators and MRI

Not such a rare situation: A patient is due for an MRI scan to clarify a diagnosis. However, it transpires that this patient is fitted with an implant, say an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which is contraindicated for MRI examinations.

Integrating cardiovascular imaging modalities revolutionises care

How the different advanced cardio vascular imaging technologies fit together in managing cardiac patients, will be one of the main themes explored at the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC 11).

Perfusion imaging: The future of CT?

CT scanners now nicely cover morphology. The challenge is moving to CT functional imaging without frying patients

PET/MR: The opportunities are almost unlimited

MRI has become the gold standard for many indications in cardiac imaging, apart from imaging the coronary arteries. For function and morphology assessment, MRI is the leading technology. A further advance into as yet unknown territory is myocardial imaging aided by one of the first integrated 3-Tesla PET/MR systems currently used at the Institute of Radiology, Essen University Hospital,…