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Video interview with Tim Bateman, MD, co-director, cardiovascular radiologic imaging program, Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute and an American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) past-president, explaining the role of SPECT into the future as PET becomes more popular. A new look at PET vs SPECT.

"I see, at least for the next decade, this being a SPECT and PET world, not one or the other," explained Tim Bateman, MD.

Read more about SPECT still has an important role to play in nuclear cardiology

Virtual reality (VR) can help cardiologists plan for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures and predict the presence and severity of post-TAVR paravalvular leak (PVL), according to new research published in the Journal of Invasive Cardiology.[1]

3D modeling of the aortic root and valve in the top row, post-TAVR echocardiography in the second row and pre-TAVR CT in the bottom row. Images courtesy of Chahine et al. and the Journal of Invasive Cardiology.

Performing virtual reality simulations before TAVR may help cardiologists anticipate when PVL could be an issue in patients with severe BAV AS.

Read more about VR before TAVR predicts paravalvular leak in high-risk patients

Biosense Webster gained CE mark approval for its Varipulse pulsed field ablation (PFA) system in Europe

The company already received CE mark approval for its new PFA offering and hopes it will soon be approved for sale in the United States.

Read more about Biosense Webster takes key step toward FDA approval for Varipulse PFA system

Cardior Pharmaceuticals in Germany has been developing a new compound it says can “halt and partially reverse cellular pathology” in heart failure patients.

Read more about Novo Nordisk to acquire biotech company working on new heart failure drug for $1.1B

While the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting has historically had a more clinical focus, presentations at this year's conference in Atlanta will spend much more time looking at the business side of things.

Read more about ACC.24 to make the business side of cardiology a priority

The news represents a meaningful policy shift for CMS. In the past, Medicare prescription drug plans have not covered medications designed to help patients lose weight.

Read more about Medicare will now cover weight loss drug semaglutide if taken for heart benefits

Powering down angiography and fluoroscopy systems at night and on weekends could significantly reduce cardiology department energy bills, new study finds.Photo by Jose Arellano

Powering down cath lab angiography systems at night and on weekends could significantly reduce cardiology department energy bills, a new study finds. Photo by Jose Arellano

New research explored the potential savings of turning off angiography systems at night and on weekends.

Read more about Going green in the cath lab makes economic sense

FDA grants new Elixir Medical Dynamx implant for BTK arterial disease its breakthrough device designation

Image courtesy of Elixir Medical.

Elixir Medical's DynamX BTK System is an implantable device that supports BTK vessels after PCI or other interventions.

Read more about FDA grants new implant for BTK arterial disease its breakthrough device designation

2024 has been a banner year for structural heart treatments, especially those focused on the tricuspid valve. In February, for example, Edwards Lifesciences made history when its Evoque transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) system became the first device of its kind to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Two months later, Abbott’s TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system also gained FDA approval for the treatment of TR.

Internal medicine physicians spend a lot of time working with heart failure patients. A new commentary in JACC: Heart Failure explored the potential impact of providing IM trainees with special training so that they can deliver additional value.

Read more about A possible remedy for cardiology’s staffing shortages: heart failure internists

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Abiomed is recalling its instructions for certain Impella left-sided blood pumps due to significant safety concerns. New and revised instructions for use (IFU) have been sent to all affected customers.

Abiomed's Impella 5.5 with Smart Assist (pictured above) is one of the heart pumps included in the recall. Image courtesy of Abiomed.

More than 100 patients have been seriously injured as a result of a significant safety concern. The Impella devices can still be used, according to the recall, if customers refer to Abiomed's new and revised instructions for use.

Read more about FDA announces new recall impacting more than 66,000 Impella heart pumps after 49 deaths