|
Lilly Outdoes Itself, Leqvio Monotherapy, and OMRON’s HF Detection
August 7, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
Together with
|
|
|
|
“It seems that patients with CVD and T2DM should be on tirzepatide, based on this data. Not all GLP-1RA are equal. Although this is a GIP+GLP-1RA & we need to recognize this.”
|
|
Martha Gulati, MD on the Results of SURPASS-CVOT
|
|
|
Cardiology Pharmaceuticals
|
|
|
|
|
|
The largest and longest tirzepatide study to date just confirmed that Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro has surpassed its older GLP-1, Trulicity, in practically every way, with significant gains when it comes to cardiovascular benefits.
- Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists like tirzepatide target two incretin pathways simultaneously, potentially offering advantages over single GLP-1 agonists.
- The REWIND trial studies already established Trulicity’s definitive CV benefits.
- This represents the first head-to-head comparison between incretin therapies in a cardiovascular outcomes trial.
The SURPASS-CVOT study represents the most comprehensive incretin analysis to date, comparing MACE rates in 13k T2D patients with ASCVD on either Mounjaro or Trulicity over a four year follow-up, finding that…
- MACE risk was 8% lower with Mounjaro.
- Mounjaro achieved non-inferiority per the study’s statistical cutoff.
Beyond meeting the study’s primary MACE endpoint, Mounjaro also demonstrated significant advantages across several secondary outcomes at 36 months, including…
- All-cause mortality reduced by 16%.
- Slowed kidney function decline by 3.54 mL/min/1.73 m² in high risk CKD patients.
- Superior A1C reduction (1.73% vs 0.90%).
- Greater weight loss (12.06% vs 4.95%).
Pre-specified indirect analyses of the study also suggest Mounjaro’s benefits may extend beyond existing GLP-1 therapies when compared to placebo controls.
- Indirect comparison to REWIND placebo data showed 28% MACE reduction.
- All-cause mortality reduction versus placebo reached 39%.
The Takeaway
SURPASS-CVOT could be a watershed moment for diabetes management, providing the first head-to-head evidence that dual incretin receptor activation helps protect the heart while delivering clinically meaningful advantages in mortality and kidney preservation. If nothing else, it asserts Mounjarno is a significant improvement over Lilly’s older Trulicity.
|
|
Siemens Healthineers ACUSON Origin Ultrasound System is Redefining CVUS
ACUSON Origin meets the demands of today’s cardiovascular care with AI-powered efficiency across adult and pediatric echo, vascular, structural heart, and EP. Streamlined workflows, intuitive walk-up usability, and advanced ergonomics empower clinicians to deliver confident, high-quality care—supporting a wide range of complex cases and clinical applications.
|
|
The Hidden Costs of Delaying Cardiac MRI Adoption
Despite being the gold standard for functional cardiac imaging, many hospitals remain slow to adopt it. From missed revenue to lost patients, the impact goes far beyond the scan. Read about the real clinical and financial risks of falling behind.
|
|
- Ultra-Processed Food’s Arterial Effects: Researchers have uncovered that people consuming the most ultra-processed foods have significantly greater carotid plaque buildup (a CVD risk factor) compared to those eating the least. An MRI study of 768 participants showed higher total arterial wall volume, lipid core volume, and wall thickness in patients who consumed high amounts of ultra-processed foods compared to those who didn’t. No correlation existed with other dietary measures like carbohydrate/fat intake, suggesting ultra-processed foods specifically contribute to ASCVD through poor nutrient profiles that affect blood lipids.
- BSCI’s RELIANCE Advisory: Boston Scientific notified clinicians of gradually rising shock impedance in 354k RELIANCE defibrillation leads (250k in the U.S.) due to shock coil calcification from ePTFE coating. The calcification can reduce shock efficacy, with 10 deaths reported from failed arrhythmia conversion over 10 years. Approximately 6.4% of leads develop gradual impedance increases at 10 years, with 8.9% reaching concerning levels ≥150 ohms. The company currently estimates a 0.0021% risk of life-threatening harm, though sensing/pacing functions remain unaffected.
- AI Tracks CAC Progression on Lung Screens: South Korean researchers in Clinical Imaging used Coreline Soft’s AVIEW AI algorithm to track coronary artery calcium progression on CT lung cancer screening exams, hinting at the potential of a two-for-one exam. In 193 patients who got screening scans, 16% experienced adverse cardiovascular events, which were more common in those with moderate to severe baseline CAC and greater growth in CAC scores (HR = 2.86 and 2.40 respectively). CAC scores also rose more in patients who had positive baseline CAC.
- Powerful Medical’s Fresh Funds: Powerful Medical received €40M ($46M) in EU grant funding through the IPCEI Tech4cure project to accelerate global adoption of its AI-powered PMcardio cardiovascular diagnostic platform. PMcardio detects heart attacks and 48 cardiac abnormalities from 12-lead ECGs with twice the sensitivity and 3 hours earlier than current methods. In H1 2025, it analyzed over 384k ECGs, detected 36k heart attacks, and contributed to saving an estimated 1.2k lives through improved early diagnosis and treatment timing.
- Leqvio Approved as Monotherapy: Novartis’ Leqvio (inclisiran) received FDA approval as a first-line monotherapy for LDL-C reduction in hypercholesterolemia patients. This removes the previous requirement for combination with statin therapy and means the twice-yearly injection can now be used alone with diet and exercise. Novartis believes this will address a critical patient need, since 80% of ASCVD patients fail to reach guideline-recommended LDL-C targets below 70 mg/dL, with the unique dosing schedule supporting better long-term adherence.
- Radiation Protection Patent Duel: Egg Medical and Rampart IC are disputing patents for radiation shielding technology for interventional procedures. Egg makes the EggNest radiation protection system for shielding cath lab personnel from scatter radiation, which competitor Rampart claims violated its patents. But the USPTO in July rejected the claims, ruling there were multiple prior inventions using the technology Rampart claimed to have invented. Rampart can still contest the ruling.
- OMRON’s At-Home HF Detection: OMRON Healthcare announced the results of a three-month study with Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine showing home-monitored vital signs detected early heart failure risks in 33% of participants (7 of 21 patients). Patients used OMRON’s smart blood pressure monitors and body composition devices that automatically synced data with healthcare providers via mobile app. This remote monitoring enabled early medical intervention, with over 90% of participants continuing daily measurements and 86% reporting high satisfaction with the integrated approach.
- RF vs. Cryoballon Ablation: Another RCT suggests cryoballoon ablation is just as good as radiofrequency ablation for treating patients with persistent AFib. Researchers randomized 499 patients with persistent AFib to receive either cryoballoon or radiofrequency ablation and found that cryoballoon ablation was non-inferior to RF ablation for preventing atrial tachyarrhythmias at one year (22.5% vs 23.2% recurrence rates). However, RF ablation showed better left atrial reverse remodeling, with greater reduction in left atrial volume index (-11 vs -4 mL/m²).
- Too Bad for 2-HOBA in Human Trials: The 2-Hydroxybenzylamine (2-HOBA) anti-inflammatory AFib drug actually increased the risk of AFib recurrence after ablation in a recent trial. Patients who received 2-HOBA had 3.65 times higher odds of AFib recurrence within 28 days, with similar rates to placebo at 1 year. This threw researchers for a loop, since preclinical mouse model data showed a reduction in AFib recurrence.
- Cardiac Screening Malpractice: A Gwinnett County jury awarded $18.3M to the family of a patient (and veteran), who died after doctors failed to properly evaluate heart test results and communicate critical findings before clearing him for elective surgery. The 64-year-old ultimately suffered a fatal heart attack following colon surgery in 2019 and two doctors were found liable (one 70% at fault, another 30%) for medical malpractice involving mishandled cardiac screening and inadequate response to warning symptoms.
- PIA’s New CRO: Focusing on its next growth path, CT/MRI postprocessing provider Precision Image Analysis appointed Don Cundiff as Chief Revenue Officer. Cundiff brings 25+ years of medical imaging and outsourced services experience, previously leading sales at at PIA’s major competitor, 3DR Laboratories, with consistent double-digit growth. Under Cundiff’s leadership, PIA will focus on expanding partnerships, accelerating market penetration across cardiology/oncology/neurology verticals, and enhancing brand visibility for their 3D/AI diagnostic platform.
|
|
Cracking the Code of ECG Analysis with Monebo’s AI Genetic Algorithm
How do you teach a computer to recognize the complex patterns in an ECG signal? Discover how Monebo found the answer by blending human expertise and a little evolutionary magic in this article that breaks down the advantages of genetic algorithms in ECG analysis.
|
|
Merge Hemo Expands to Puerto Rico
Merge partnered with Alpha Biomedical to bring Merge Hemo to Puerto Rico, marking the software’s first expansion outside the 50 U.S. states. Read more about the work Merge is doing to expand access to its award winning solutions beyond the United States.
|
|
- Addressing Coronary Artery Disease: Learn how the AGENT™ Drug-Coated Balloon provides a new treatment option for in-stent restenosis in the U.S. Rx Only. (Sponsored by Boston Scientific)
- Heartflow Roadmap Analysis For Efficient Care: As Coronary CT scan volumes increase, your entire reading team needs to deliver efficient and consistent reads. Good thing Heartflow’s Roadmap Analysis can help you maintain accuracy and increase CCTA read speeds by up to 25%, with even level 3 readers seeing real efficiency benefits.
- Explore Vitrea Advanced Visualization: Discover Canon Medical Healthcare IT’s suite of advanced imaging workflows designed to increase efficiency in cardiovascular imaging, and facilitate the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. These cutting-edge tools support the delivery of faster, more accurate care while integrating seamlessly into clinical workflow
- Us2.ai’s AI HF Now Possible with Handheld Echo: The latest research shows Us2.ai’s software can take handheld echocardiography beyond its standard applications. Read this EHJ study about how swiftly and accurately Us2.ai’s HF detection software detects LVEF, closely matching expert human analysis of standard cart based echocardiograms.
- Relieving The Burden of Post-Processing: With the advent of advanced imaging technologies like CCTA come added burdens to technologists and diagnostic imaging centers. See how PIA can relieve the burden of post-processing, saving you time while helping your bottom line.
- Cut Waste with GE HealthCare’s Inventory Management: Want to make your hospital’s inventory practices more efficient? Tune in to this webinar on how GE HealthCare’s data-driven insights can optimize inventory management and reduce cardiac procedure times by 30-45 minutes.
- Tempus Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for Tempus ECG-Low EF: Tempus announces the expansion of its Tempus ECG-AI portfolio with Tempus ECG-Low EF, software intended for use to analyze 12-lead ECG recordings and detect signs associated with having a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF less than or equal to 40%) in patients 40 years of age or older at risk of heart failure. It is not intended as a stand-alone diagnostic and positive results may suggest the need for further clinical evaluation. For Full Indications for Use, visit here.
|
|
|
|
|
