Dear Cardiac Insider,
In a large trial published this week, Scottish researchers have convincingly shown what had been hard to pin down: that coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is superior to standard care not only for identifying coronary artery disease, but also for guiding its management.
In more than 4,000 patients with chest pain randomized to standard care (including treadmill testing) or standard care plus CCTA, the CCTA group had fewer adverse events, more therapeutic interventions, and fewer invasive angiographies, to name just a few differences. For the rest, click here.
As always, cardiac MR (CMR) is pulling its weight in diagnosis as well. At the recent ECR 2016, investigators from the U.K. and Italy looked at a daunting and often deadly cardiomyopathy known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia. Proper identification and treatment can save lives, but it turns out the disease throws up imposters that only CMR can sort out. Find out more here.
Speaking of CMR, T1 mapping is just what the cardiologist ordered for a new level of cardiac tissue characterization, while MR spectroscopy is on the rise (again) for providing a deep understanding of myocardial health. Our top five trends article looks at hot topics in cardiac imaging and more from ECR 2016.
Meanwhile, another study presented at ECR challenges long-held assumptions about sleep and cardiac health. From the Budapest team that looked at heart health in twins, you'll find a new sleep study here.
In other news from Europe, explore the three essential steps for successful cardiothoracic imaging here. Find out if triple rule-out CT exams are really worth it here. And see whether automated plaque analysis is worth the effort.
For more from the heart of Europe, we invite you to scroll through the links below and see what's new in your Cardiac Imaging Community.
