March/April 2019

To conquer STEMI’s “last frontier,” cardiologists are tapping into an evolving arsenal of strategies while calling for more data and standardized definitions to guide treating physicians.

Cardiologists want solid proof of AI’s efficacy and value. And even then, obstacles to acceptance may remain.

As new hardware and software are introduced into interventional suites, imaging labs and surgical theaters, who bears responsibility for bringing medical personnel up to speed on the advantages they could deliver for safety and efficacy?

Geisinger is aiming to offer DNA sequencing to all of its 1.5 million patients. Members of its precision health team reveal how the initiative developed and share insights gleaned so far, challenges ahead and questions still to be answered.

Receiving payments from industry influenced physicians’ device selection but not patient outcomes, according to researchers who analyzed three years of Open Payment Program data.

A new stem cell-based test may add certainty to efforts to predict whether so-called variants of uncertain significance will contribute to the development of diseases or be harmless. 

I don’t need to tell you that social determinants of health (SDoH) present challenges for your patients. You’ve seen the data indicating that as much as 80 percent of an individual’s health comes from factors other than the clinical care he or she receives. You know the impact of disparities. 

ACC.19 will feature 36 late-breaking clinical trials and clinical research studies, starting with the Apple Heart Study’s findings on the ability of a smartwatch to help identify atrial fibrillation. That question is just one of many the conference will address, says ACC.19 Program Chair Andrew Kates, MD, professor of medicine and director of the cardiology fellowship program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. During a conversation with Cardiovascular Business, Kates predicted trial highlights and previewed some ACC.19 program innovations. 

Coronary artery calcium scanning is not a Magic 8 Ball, but it is a powerful predictor and a valuable tool for cardiology practices.