Adam Gaffney, MD, on the negative results of a value-based care study.

Covering cardiology and the various risk factors our hearts face has made me realize one nagging thing. The pump that keeps us going is terribly delicate.

In fact, it’s likely our bodies will give out from climate change before the Earth ever does.

Thanks for reading, and stay cool this summer,

Vik

Population Health

It’s Getting Hot in Here, So Watch Out for Your Heart

America’s cardiovascular burden from rising temperatures is set to nearly triple by 2050, with a new JAMA Cardiology study predicting thousands more CV deaths per year due to high-emissions and climate change.

• High temperatures are already a known driver of cardiovascular events, however, no studies have attempted to link climate change to rising CV risk.
• Unideal temperature exposure is already estimated to contribute to 1.7M-5M deaths globally each year, of which CVD represents the largest fraction.

To model the scale of the problem, researchers analyzed heat-related CVD across 3.1k U.S. counties using Global Burden of Disease data from 2010–2016 and projected outcomes forward to 2050 under varying emissions scenarios.

• Current heat-attributable CVD burden sits at 138.5 DALYs per 100,000.
• Under high-emissions projections, that figure rises to 418.2 DALYs per 100,000 by 2050.
• Middle- and low-income counties might see twice the relative increase compared to high-income areas.
• By the way, “DALY” is just a fancy way of saying one healthy year of life lost.

Moreover, demographics will compound the problem even if temperatures don’t rise as projected.

• An aging U.S. population is expected to drive a 34% increase in heat-attributable CVD DALYs by 2050, independent of any temperature changes.

The clinical implications are more immediate than they might seem. Heat and dehydration directly affect cardiovascular disease and can interact with common cardiac medications.

• For example, beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors both influence thermoregulatory balance, meaning dose adjustments may be warranted during peak heat months.

So what can cardiologists do with this information? On the clinical side, it comes down to awareness.

• Both patients and providers can expect heat to become a more prevalent risk factor for CV events in the years to come.
• This means education is key, both to addressing how heat impacts a patient, and what can be done to avoid unnecessary exposure.

The Takeaway

Wherever you stand on the climate change debate, heat is an undeniable CV risk factor and this JAMA study serves as a reminder that a warming planet could keep increasing that risk.

A Cardiovascular Ultrasound Platform You Can Trust

Being able to provide premium diagnostic information for your pediatric patients every day, all day, is vital. Find out why cardiac imagers trust Fujifilm’s Lisendo 880, and how its premium imaging quality, efficiency tools, and reliability you can trust, have helped change workflows for clinicians and technologists alike.

Staying ALERT with Tempus

Undertreatment and time to treatment of valvular heart disease are among the biggest challenges health systems face today, but Tempus’ AI-driven EHR notifications can change that. Read the results of Medtronic and Tempus’ ALERT trial which found that delivering data directly to providers resulted in a 40% relative increase in life-saving valve procedures.

The Nature of Raw ECG Signals

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The Wire

• AHA and ATTR-CM Awareness: The AHA launched a three-year ATTR-CM Discovery Initiative to improve how clinicians identify and manage cardiac amyloidosis. ATTR-CM’s recognition as a cause of HF is growing, so the initiative aims to strengthen awareness, diagnosis and treatment of the condition. As part of the project, cardiologists and allied health professionals will establish effective workflows for catching amyloidosis patients early and differentiating between the two forms of the disease (light chain vs. ATTR). Cardiac damage from amyloidosis isn’t reversible, so the sooner a patient begins therapy, the better.

• Getinge Launches New CABG Tech: Further expanding its interventional cardiology footprint, Getinge launched the Vasoview Hemopro 3 Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting System for minimally invasive CABG. The new platform incorporates enhancements informed by over 100 vessel harvesting specialists, including a redesigned ergonomic game-controller-style handle, soft-touch activation toggle, and an integrated power cable with one-click connection eliminating sterilization needs. The system’s U.S. launch is now underway with phased international expansion.

• A Dual Drug DCB: Advanced Nano Therapies closed a $31M Series B financing round ($47.5M to date) to continue the development and testing of its SirPlux Duo device for drug-coated balloon therapy. SirPlux Duo uses a nanoparticle system to deliver both sirolimus and paclitaxel to a blood vessel’s wall. ANT believes this approach will enable sustained local drug retention at lower doses, ultimately preventing issues like restenosis after PCI. Next steps include scaling up manufacturing to meet FDA IDE requirements for devices across both coronary and peripheral programs.

• DAPT vs. SAPT for TAVR: Is single or dual antiplatelet therapy better post-TAVR? One recent registry study of over 5k TAVR patients found that single antiplatelet therapy was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality than dual antiplatelet therapy at 6 months (2.4% vs 5.4%) and 24 months (11.7% vs 14.2%). Major bleeding events were also less common with SAPT, while ischemic stroke risk was similar between groups. Furthermore, DAPT use declined over the study period from 48% to 38%, likely due to evolving clinical practice.

• Medtronic Invests in ICE: Foraying deeper into cardiac imaging, Medtronic announced strategic investments in two intracardiac echocardiography catheter companies: Beluga Medical (California, premarket-stage) and CardioACC (China, early commercial with 2025 NMPA approval). Medtronic intends to integrate ICE technology into its Affera mapping and ablation system to expand the ecosystem’s differentiated capabilities. Both companies will continue operating independently, with the invested amounts and terms undisclosed.

• CAMZYOS for Teens: Bristol Myers Squibb submitted a supplemental NDA for Camzyos (mavacamten) to treat adolescents ages 12-<18 with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, potentially becoming the first cardiac myosin inhibitor for this population. In response, the FDA granted Priority Review with a PDUFA target date of September 30, 2026. These regulatory moves are supported by the Phase 3 SCOUT-HCM trial which met its primary endpoint, demonstrating significant LVOT gradient reduction at Week 28 with safety profile similar to adults and no LVEF <50%.

• AccurKardia’s Amyloidosis Patent: Getting closer to its goal of ECG as a broad biomarker, AccurKardia received a U.S. Patent for a machine learning system that can identify cardiac amyloidosis from standard 12-lead ECGs. The software will work across all major amyloid subtypes and could help address the disease’s underdiagnosis, which affects 13-15% of heart failure clinic patients. AccurKardia’s approach uses explainable machine learning for clinician interpretability and integrates into existing ECG workflows without new hardware or procedures.

• An Alternative to Open Heart: Veritas Aortic Solutions closed $12M in seed funding to advance its Transcatheter Valved Aortic Root Conduit (TVARC) for root and ascending aortic diseases. As a spinout from inQB8 Medical Technologies, Veritas combines a bioprosthetic aortic valve, ascending aortic graft, and its proprietary Chameleon Eye coronary perfusion ports with a custom transfemoral delivery catheter. The company hopes this will offer a less-invasive alternative to open-heart surgery as TVARC development advances toward its First-in-Human clinical trial.

• An mRNA Cocktail Post-MI: Fixing hearts post MI seems more possible than ever after University of Osaka researchers developed a polyplex nanomicelle-based (small capsules that protect the mRNA) multi-mRNA delivery system for cardiac repair. The system delivered five distinct therapeutic mRNAs directly to damaged myocardium, targeting angiogenesis, fibrosis inhibition, and cardiomyocyte survival simultaneously. Animal models treated with the mRNA mix showed improved LVEF, thicker myocardial walls, reduced scarring, increased capillary networks, and enhanced survival compared to controls.

• Food Preservatives and the Heart: We already know food preservatives probably aren’t the best for our health and thanks to a new study out of France we get a peek into their impact on the heart. Researchers followed 112k participants over a median 7.9 years and found that non-antioxidant preservatives were associated with higher hypertension incidence (HR: 1.29) and CVD incidence (HR: 1.16). Meanwhile, antioxidant preservatives were associated with just higher hypertension risk (HR: 1.22).

• Editas’ Preclinical Results: Editas Medicine released preclinical data for EDIT-401, its in-vivo gene editing candidate that is designed to lower cholesterol and other lipoproteins. Tested on non-human primates, EDIT-401 led to 90% average reductions in LDL-C, lipoprotein(a), and apolipoprotein B with just one dose. These reductions were dose-dependent and toxicology studies showed EDIT-401 was well-tolerated. The FDA provided positive pre-IND feedback on the study and Editas plans Clinical Trial Notification submission by mid-2026 for first-in-human trials in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients.

Merge & Us2.ai for Accessible Cardiac AI

AI isn’t the future anymore, it’s an irreplaceable feature for cardiac imaging. Dive deeper into how Merge & Us2.ai are integrating FDA-cleared algorithms with advanced imaging systems to help clinicians focus on what matters most – their patients.

Changes in Heart Failure Management

Heart failure is a complex condition with high heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality rates, especially among patients with HFpEF and HFmrEF, for whom treatment options have been limited. Read how Bayer’s Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon discusses the changing treatment landscape and strategies for improving patient outcomes.

PIA Medical Processes It All

Need an analysis like calcium scoring, strain or even FFR? PIA Medical began as a Core Lab and can handle creative cardiac research and clinical trials along with the full breadth of clinical analyses available today.

The Resource Wire

• State-of-the-Art Cardiac Monitoring at Scale: Cleared for 13 different heart rhythm interpretations, AccurKardia’s AccurECG 2.0 shortens the time from an arrhythmia incident to clinical intervention. Watch here to find out how AccurKardia and Specialized Medical are teaming up to bring the AccurECG 2.0 technology to clinicians across the U.S. 

• Merge Cardio 12.5 is Officially Available! From AI-generated echo measurements to upgraded UI and reports, Merge Cardio 12.5 brings a long list of new innovations to the table. Find out more about how Merge Cardio’s latest version streamlines workflows to make your cardiovascular service line more cost-effective and patient-centered.

• How AI Expands the Role of CMR Experts: If you’re an MRI technologist, AI could be the best thing that ever happened to your career. Read here to learn about the benefits of AI for CMR experts and how it can accelerate both your training and career.

• The Power of AI in Cardiovascular Imaging: Cardiac labs are under more pressure than ever to deliver more with greater speed and precision. Hear from ACUSON Origin customer, Tony Gallagher about how Siemens Healthineers’ cardiovascular ultrasound system is improving exam efficiency and showing positive impact on ROI.

• cvi42’s Real World Results: Consistency of measurements over time is of utmost importance for clinical interpretation and follow-up. Read about how cardiac imagers are using Circle Cardiovascular Imaging’s cvi42 platform to dramatically reduce manual segmentation by up to 60%.

The Industry Wire

1. Massachusetts sues UnitedHealthcare for Medicaid fraud.
2. CMS published Medicaid work requirements.
3. As AI adoption surges, providers worry about deskilling.
4. Daraxonrasib is a success for pancreatic cancer.
5. FTC forces Ascension to divest in $3.9B AmSurg deal.
6. Maybe GLP-1s lower breast cancer risk?
7. Presbyterian pulls back from Medicare Advantage.
8. Eli Lilly’s data sharing ultimatum for 340B hospitals.
9. NYU Langone’s massive Long Island hospital plans.
10. Ardent Health appoints newpresident, CEO.