Cardiology

Scientists at The University of Texas at Arlington have identified a new enzyme that can be “turned off” to help the body maintain healthy cholesterol levels—a significant development that could lead to new treatments for diseases that affect millions of Americans.

Empagliflozin has kidney protective effects and reduces heart failure outcomes across baseline kidney function among patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published online June 13 in Nature Cardiovascular Research.

A newly developed cardiac PET imaging technique offers a simpler way to detect significant coronary artery disease—eliminating the need for complex scanning protocols. This innovative approach, which maintains high diagnostic accuracy, has the potential to make advanced heart imaging more accessible and feasible, particularly during exercise stress testing.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a medical robotic system to relieve a life-threatening tension pneumothorax in the chest cavity. The researchers are presenting the robotic solution at the automatica robotics trade fair. In the future, it will be capable of telemedical operations during evacuation flights. It was developed as part of the iMEDCAP project.

Women who experience complications during pregnancy face a higher risk of stroke in the following decades, according to research published in the European Heart Journal.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have successfully performed preclinical laboratory testing of a replacement heart valve intended for toddlers and young children with congenital cardiac defects, a key step toward obtaining approval for human use. The results of their study were published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

A novel integrated molecular imaging approach enables precise localization and quantification of heart damage, as well as accurate identification of disease subtypes. The dual PET/MR and PET/CMR technique also provides direct evidence supporting surgery as a cardio-protective intervention in these patients, offering a comprehensive strategy for managing primary aldosteronism.

Exposure to high levels of the body’s primary stress hormone—cortisol—in preterm fetuses can disrupt normal heart development, potentially increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease in later life.

Obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are increasingly present in the population. Brown adipose tissue has a protective function against these prevalent diseases, as it burns calories and can produce body heat from fat. But as the body ages, the activity of brown adipose tissue decreases. This inactivation of brown adipose tissue—also typical of obese people—remains poorly studied in the scientific literature.

Mass General Brigham researchers have developed a new AI tool in collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to probe through previously collected CT scans and identify individuals with high coronary artery calcium (CAC) levels that place them at a greater risk for cardiovascular events. Their research, published in NEJM AI, showed the tool called AI-CAC had high accuracy and predictive value for future heart attacks and 10-year mortality. Their findings suggest that implementing such a tool widely may help clinicians assess their patients’ cardiovascular risk.