Mark Cuban

New automated software solutions are becoming available for analysis of arterial plaque, a major risk factor for heart disease. In this webinar today, at 12 p.m. ET, hear clinicians discuss their real-world experiences with Elucid’s PlaqueIQ solution for plaque analysis.

Electrophysiology

Conduction-System Pacing Succeeds at Treating AV Block

Conduction-system pacing could be poised to reshape standard care for atrioventricular (AV) block patients after the randomized CSPACE trial demonstrated its significant benefits over traditional right ventricular septal pacing.

• Conduction-system pacing includes His-bundle, left bundle branch, and LV septal pacing techniques that preserve the heart’s natural electrical pathways.
• However, current guidelines only provide class 2 recommendations for conduction-system pacing in AV block patients.

Taking a closer look at CSP’s potential, the CSPACE trial enrolled 202 patients with AV block at two Australian hospitals, randomizing them to conduction-system pacing or conventional RV septal pacing plus standard care and found that…

• CSP achieved a 65% reduction in the composite primary outcome of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy, CRT upgrade need, heart failure hospitalization, or mortality.
• The benefit was driven by dramatic reductions in pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (69% reduction) and elimination of CRT upgrade requirements.
• However, lead revisions were far more common with conduction-system pacing (7.9% vs. 1.0%), though all cases were manageable with successful revision.

Even without detailed mechanistic data, the clinical outcomes could be used to upgrade current guideline recommendations from class 2 to class 1.

• If guidelines are revised, conduction-system pacing would join a select group of evidence-based first-line pacing strategies, potentially replacing conventional RV pacing.
• The technique already shows promise beyond AV block, with ongoing research exploring applications across broader pacing populations.

Given the significant clinical benefits and potential to prevent heart failure complications, conduction-system pacing represents both a patient care advance and health economic opportunity.

• Beyond individual patient benefits, preventing pacing-induced cardiomyopathy and CRT upgrades could yield substantial healthcare cost savings.
• The 5-year extended follow-up planned for CSPACE patients will provide crucial long-term lead durability and safety data.

The Takeaway

CSPACE provides the first randomized evidence that conduction-system pacing delivers superior clinical outcomes compared to conventional RV pacing in AV block patients. With results like these, there’s a good chance we could see CSP become a first-line treatment in the coming years so long as long-term results hold up.

Rethink Your Workflow with GE HealthCare

Just 15 minutes could change the way you think about cardiovascular IT. Register now for GE HealthCare’s August 28th webinar on how technology can help care teams replace paperwork with automated reporting, integrate tools that speak the same language and standardize reporting, inventory, and billing all in one platform.

How Vista AI Helps Solve the Technologist Shortage

Fewer than 2% of MRI scanners are routinely used for cardiac imaging—mainly due to a shortage of trained technologists amid rising demand. Vista AI addresses this challenge by automating CMR scanning, empowering technologists of all experience levels to deliver high-quality cardiac exams consistently and efficiently.

The Wire

• Gum Health’s Connection to CV Health: Reinforcing the link between oral and cardiovascular health, a new RCT suggests intensive periodontal treatment (IPT) could slow vascular remodeling in patients with periodontitis. Participants received either IPT (scaling, root planning, surgery) or control treatment (basic cleaning), showing that IPT significantly reduced carotid intima-media thickness (-0.023mm) and improved flow-mediated dilation within two months. No differences occurred in blood pressure or pulse wave velocity and the benefits were consistent throughout the study.

• FDA Alert for Medtronic Vent Catheters: The FDA issued an urgent alert about Medtronic’s DLP Left Heart Vent Catheters used during bypass surgery. The catheters may not bend properly as designed, potentially causing dangerous tears in heart tissue that could be fatal. Although Medtronic reported three serious injuries and no deaths, the FDA recommends that healthcare facilities must immediately find and quarantine these catheters and return them to Medtronic.

• Pop-Up CV Screenings Work: Researchers deployed “pop-up” cardiovascular screening stations across 311 pharmacies and one sporting event and found the approach significantly improves population level CV risk detection. The innovative approach successfully captured over 76k participants and revealed a concerning reality: nearly 69% had uncontrolled risk factors including high blood pressure, obesity, or smoking. The sporting event, rural pharmacies, and weekday screenings identified higher-risk individuals than urban or weekend locations, which also scores just how important the time and place are to getting people screened.

• You Can’t Quote Yourself: An Italian heart researcher has lost three more papers for self-plagiarism, bringing his total retractions to 17. The Journal of Clinical Medicine Research retracted the articles after finding “significant overlap” with his previously published work in other journals. Meanwhile, his frequent coauthor also has 13 retractions, all from papers with the accused heart researcher. Only one of his retractions involved plagiarizing other authors’ work rather than duplicating his own publications.

• Simpsons’ CTO Catheter: Simpson Interventions announced the first patient treatments in the pivotal Acolyte study, testing its Image-Guided Crossing and Re-Entry Catheter System for coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs). The FDA Breakthrough Device enables real-time visualization and precise guidewire positioning for complex blockages while making minimally invasive PCI more predictable and safer. That’s significant since CTOs affect 16-20% of coronary artery disease patients but lack reliable crossing tools, often requiring invasive bypass surgery.

• Philips Invests in America: Philips committed to over $150M in new U.S. manufacturing and R&D investments, expanding beyond its annual $900M U.S. R&D spending. The plan includes expanding the Reedsville, PA facility that produces AI-enabled ultrasound systems and creating 120 jobs for customizing cardiovascular and maternal care systems. The company will also invest in a Plymouth, MN image-guided therapy facility expansion that will add 150+ jobs.

• FHF Expands FIND Lp(a): The Family Heart Foundation added seven major healthcare systems to its FIND Lp(a) initiative to screen for elevated lipoprotein(a). The foundation’s new partners include Emory Healthcare, Indiana University Health, Johns Hopkins, and others. As part of the initiative, healthcare systems use machine learning to identify high-risk patients with existing cardiovascular disease for Lp(a) testing. Despite affecting one in five people, fewer than 5% know they have elevated Lp(a), making this screening crucial for preventing heart attacks.

• Ventric’s Vivio for HF Detection: A study in JACC: Advances showed that Ventric Health’s FDA-cleared Vivio System accurately identifies undiagnosed heart failure in primary care within five minutes. The system non-invasively measures left ventricular end-diastolic pressure using a blood pressure cuff and ECG. In the study of 2k high-risk patients over 65 with diabetes/chronic kidney disease, 38.5% showed elevated pressure, with nearly 25% reporting substantial symptoms.

• MSN Launches Generic Sacubitril+Valsartan: MSN Pharmaceuticals announced the U.S. launch of its generic Sacubitril+Valsartan tablets (brand name, Entresto) for chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. This cardiovascular combination therapy reduces risk of death and hospitalization while improving patient quality of life. The launch followed years of complex patent litigation with Novartis (who makes Entresto) and regulatory processes, and MSN emphasizes that it aligns with U.S. policy promoting affordable generic competition.

• Shockwave’s CSR Safety Results: A new meta-analysis in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions examined Shockwave Medical’s coronary sinus reducer (CSR) for refractory angina across 16 different studies, suggesting the device is both safe and easy to implant. The Shockwave CSR showed 98.3% implantation success and strong safety outcomes, with device migration being the most common complication (1.5%). While improvements in angina symptoms and exercise capacity were observed, benefits were greater in single-arm studies than placebo-controlled trials.

• HFSA’s Palliative HF Care Guidelines: The Heart Failure Society of America released new recommendations emphasizing palliative care’s crucial role in heart failure management. Given HF patients’ high mortality and poor quality of life, care teams should prioritize symptom control and life quality. The guidance, published in Journal of Cardiac Failure, addresses integration challenges and recommends communication frameworks for difficult conversations, while also highlighting disparities affecting minorities and underserved populations.

A Solution for Your Entire Cardiology Service Line

The pace of change in healthcare can be dizzying, creating new and more complex challenges for cardiology departments to overcome. See how Merge Cardio and Merge Hemo can turn those challenges into opportunities for greater workflow efficiency and improved care.

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.

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 Resource Wire

• 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.

• 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.

• Personalized Plaque Analysis Now With Medicare Coverage: Heartflow’s Plaque Analysis is now reimbursable thanks to Medicare’s new coverage for AI-enabled plaque analysis of eligible patients with coronary artery disease.

• Assessing CAD with Circle CVI: Did you know that Circle CVI offers a suite of cardiac CT tools for the assessment of coronary artery disease? See how Circle combines heart function segmentation, automated plaque analysis, CAC scoring, reporting, and viewing in a single dedicated Cardiac CT package.

• Discover Innovation in Intervention: Explore how the AGENT™ Drug-Coated Balloon from Boston Scientific is advancing U.S.-based treatment options for patients with coronary artery disease. Rx Only. (Sponsored by Boston Scientific)

• PIA’s Post-Processing Solution: Advanced cardiac imaging often calls for a time-consuming post-processing step, requiring costly software, hardware, and training. See how PIA provides this post-processing at lower cost, improved consistency, and greater efficiency.

The Industry Wire

1. Doctors are struggling to make ends meet.
2. Pediatric group recommends COVID vax against federal policy.
3. Migrating ticks could pose an unexpected challenge for doctors.
4. Texas measles outbreak is over.
5. New study casts doubts on RFK Jr.’s gutting of vaccine panel.
6. Judge dismisses Elevance Health Medicare Advantage stars case.
7. The future of food as medicine programs.
8. Rule limiting broker payments in Medicare Advantage overturned.
9. CMS initiative targets undocumented immigrants in Medicaid.
10. Large employers forecast 9% hike in healthcare costs next year.