News • Xenotransplant
Surgeons transplant pig heart into human patient
US surgeons perform historic first successful transplant of porcine heart into adult auman with end-stage heart disease.
Cardiology
News • Sex differences
Cardiovascular risks may be worse for women’s cognition
New study results show that though men are more likely to have heart conditions, the impact on their memory and thinking skills is lower.
News • In cardiac cells
Pop-up sensors measure electronic signals
A tiny ‘pop-up’ sensor monitors the electrical activity inside heart cells. The device could provide new insights into cardiac diseases, including myocardial infarction and arrhythmias.
Article • Cardiology helpers
A new era for robotic cardiac interventions
Interventional cardiology is entering a new era with the wider introduction of robotic procedures which bring significant benefits to the medical team and the patient. Two experts outlined the benefits at the ESC 2021 Digital Summit.
News • Revealed via new x-ray technique
Covid-19 can cause vascular damage to the heart
Using a new x-ray imaging approach, an interdisciplinary research team has detected significant changes in the heart muscle tissue of people who died from Covid-19.
News • Blood clot screening
AI could help detect pulmonary embolisms with ECG data
A new pilot study suggests that machine learning algorithms which fuse electrocardiogram (ECG) and electronic health record data may help doctors screen for dangerous, lung-clogging blot clots.
News • Cardiology
Coronary artery disease: Machine learning predicts risk of death
A novel artificial intelligence score provides a more accurate forecast of the likelihood of patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease dying within 10 years than established scores used by health professionals worldwide. The research was presented at EuroEcho 2021, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
News • Synthetic nucleic acid
New approach could help weak hearts
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction was previously considered largely untreatable. A research team at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) led by Professor Michael Gotthardt has now succeeded for the first time in improving cardiac function with the help of a synthetic nucleic acid, as the researchers report in the journal Science…
News • ECG computation
Energy-efficient AI detects heart defects
Researchers at the national research institute for mathematics and computer science in the Netherlands (CWI), together with a colleague from Stichting Interuniversitair Micro-Elektronica Centrum (IMEC) in Eindhoven, have achieved a mathematical breakthrough in the computation of so-called spiking neural networks. Thanks to this breakthrough, special chips that are suitable for this artificial…
News • Online platform for professionals
Cardiology webinars take a glimpse into the future of the field
In continuation of their healthcare webinar series, Canon Medical announces the Online Cardiology Days. From Oct 26 to Nov 4, world-renowned cardiology experts take a deep-dive into professional education and explore state-of-the-art imaging and clinical management insights during a series of interactive lectures, practical teaching sessions and real life clinical case discussions.
News • 'POEMS' for cardiology
New method tracks heart activity optical and electrical simultaneously
It is still elusive to what extent interactions between different cell types of the heart influence the normal heart rhythm and possibly trigger life-threatening arrhythmias. A new measurement method developed at the University of Bern combines for the first time optical and electrical recording of cardiac ventricular activation which, in conjunction with optogenetics, will permit finding…
Sponsored • 12-lead resting ECG
The new CardioPart 12 WLAN – ECG innovation made in Germany
The CardioPart 12 WLAN is a 12-lead resting ECG which fits into your pocket. Its compact design is equipped with a brilliant touch screen display, bar code reader and available on a 24/7 basis. Learn more at www.amedtec.de.
News • Cardiology research
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement: new insights on life expectancy
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have examined long-term outcomes in patients who received pacemaker implantations after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) through their groin. The result showed no significant difference in mortality for the patients with pacemakers compared to those without. The study is published in the journal JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
News • Standardized heart attack protocols
Reducing heart attack deaths by 50%, getting rid of gender gaps in care
A new series of protocols for treating patients with the most severe types of hearts attacks can reduce deaths by more than 50%, and eliminate gender disparities in care and outcomes, according to a new study by Cleveland Clinic.
News • After a heart attack
3D mapping of post-infarction scarring increases prognostic potential of cardiac MRI
A multidisciplinary team of scientists based at the Universidad de Valladolid and the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has developed a highly efficient method for identifying the 3-dimensional features of the scar tissue formed after a myocardial infarction. The study was carried out in partnership with scientists and clinicians at Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Hospital…
Article • Discussing benefits and flaws
AI in cardiology: a marriage made in heaven – or hell?
The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most divisive issues in cardiology. Two leading experts argue the pros and cons of its use, exploring its benefits and advantages to cardiac care, as well as highlighting the pitfalls and shortcomings of AI, while underlining the need for clear guidelines and regulations for its use going forward.
Article • SPECT/CT, MPI and more
The value of hybrid imaging in the cardiac arena
Combining imaging modalities is helping to achieve better diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes for heart patients. The topic, discussed in detail by experts at the ICNC-CT online International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT, examined hybrid/fusion imaging as the standard in cardiovascular imaging, and its value in clinical practice. Professor Terrence Ruddy spoke about the role of…
Article • Cardiology advances
Digital solutions for heart failure patients
Triage HF Plus, highlighted in the BCS conference session ‘Digital Innovation in Cardiology - What's new?’ is a digital heart failure care project that uses a customised algorithm to detect early signs of deterioration in patients with implanted devices. During her presentation ‘Digital solutions to identify worsening heart failure’, consultant cardiologist Dr Fozia Ahmed discussed the…
Article • Molecular targeting for better results
Emerging novel tracers for cardiovascular imaging
Molecular imaging, guided by novel tracers, is emerging as an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool in cardiovascular medicine. Delegates at ICNC-CT, the online International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT, also heard that cardiology can learn from fields such as oncology and neurology that have already made important advances in this area. Professor Frank Bengel, who is…
Article • Risk reduction, rehabilitation
The role of AI in preventive cardiology
Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in cardiovascular risk reduction and cardiac rehabilitation are offering new opportunities for increased diagnostic accuracy and more personalised exercise prescription. Experts believe it can be harnessed to design tools to enable cardiologists to make better decisions, and have more confidence in the decision-making process. The topic was featured at ESC…
Article • Diagnosis, prognosis, prediction
AI offers advances in cardiovascular imaging
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is providing numerous opportunities across clinical care in the field of cardiovascular imaging. While challenges remain, AI is being applied in terms of diagnosis and prognosis, defining cardiovascular imaging pathways, and image acquisition and analysis. It can also help cardiologists predict which patients may do well, or which treatments are best applied to those…
Article • Preventive cardiology
AI to measure coronary plaque in six seconds
Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a non-invasive imaging test which can be used to evaluate coronary artery stenosis and measure plaques. Current plaque analysis is time-consuming and needs expert readers in order to help assess a patient’s heart attack risk. That’s about to change.
Article • Predictive plaques
Using AI for personalised prediction of heart attack
An AI-led device to assess coronary CT angiographs has been designed to assess cardiac plaque that may lead to myocardial infarction (MI). In his presentation ‘Vascular inflammation and cardiovascular risk assessment using coronary CT angiography’ (CCTA), Charambalos Antoniades, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford, presented the research team’s findings during…
Sponsored • Transcatheter aortic valve implants
TAVI: from short-term effects to lifetime management
Until recently, TAVI, the minimally invasive procedure in which a replacement valve is inserted inside a diseased valve has been mostly prescribed for patients too weak to face open heart surgery – largely involving those in the 80-plus age group. Today, due to greater longevity plus advancing skills that result in risks reduction, TAVI is increasingly prescribed for patients in their 70s and…
News • Cardiac arrest help takes flight
AED drone delivery shows great potential
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden can now report the results of a unique pilot project where drones were used to deliver defibrillators to real-life alerts of suspected cardiac arrest. The drones were dispatched in more than a fifth of the emergencies and arrived on target and ahead of the ambulance in most cases.