|
HF Polypills, Best CV Hospitals, and Cardiac Imaging News
By Viktor Zarev, Virginia Hunt
July 9, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
Together with
|
|
|
|
“Treatment is what we are trained to do—precise, protocolized, measurable. Healing, however, lives in those moments when individuals bring not only their expertise, but their full presence; when they work at the very top of their ability—not just technically, but humanly.”
|
|
Anuradha Lala, MD, “Reflections from the Other Side of the Bed, Part 2”
|
|
|
I forget to take creatine daily, though I go to the gym just as often. Heck, I forget to drink enough water even when I remember to take creatine. I couldn’t imagine having to remember four, five, six pills a day to manage heart failure.
By the way, is there a polypill for creatine and water?
Thanks for reading and send your thoughts on polypills my way.
Vik
|
|
|
|
Guideline-directed heart failure therapy works, but the biggest hurdle is getting patients to actually take it and fresh results in Nature from the POLY-HF trial suggest a polypill approach could be the answer.
- Current GDMT for HF follows a quadruple approach of ARNIs, beta-blockers, MRAs, and SGLT2 inhibitors.
- POLY-HF combined three of these into one pill – a beta-blocker, an SGLT2 inhibitor, and an MRA.
Researchers then randomized 212 patients to receive either a single polypill or the same three medications taken separately once daily, finding that…
- The primary outcome of LVEF improved 3.3% more in the polypill group at six months.
- Patients on the polypill had a 60% lower rate of heart failure hospitalizations or ED visits.
- Adherence to therapy, confirmed through blood tests, was higher in the polypill group.
In the case of POLY-HF, the benefit parallels what we’ve seen in hypertension polypills – fewer pills meant better adherence, and better adherence meant patients actually received the therapeutic benefit these drugs are known to deliver.
All that said, while POLY-HF is an RCT published in Nature, it has some serious limitations that prevent it from being a paradigm-shifting study.
- With only 212 patients selected from 5000 reviewed records, this trial’s results are based on a highly curated study group.
- The primary endpoint of LVEF improvement only saw a 3.3% increase with polypills, which might be statistically significant, but likely isn’t clinically significant.
- Beyond that, some would argue that LVEF as an endpoint doesn’t say much about a patient’s health on its own.
The Takeaway
POLY-HF’s premise of making a patient’s life simpler is straightforward, and by its own design it backs up polypills for HF. However, it lacks the necessary “oomph” to really drive home whether or not an HF polypill should exist, so we’ll have to keep waiting for a bigger study to answer that.
|
|
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.
|
|
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 opportunities.
|
|
- 100 Hospitals Hit the ACC’s Top Mark: Setting a new record, the ACC awarded its highest honor, the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence, to 100 U.S. hospitals. Established in 2018, the designation recognizes hospitals and health systems that demonstrate ongoing excellence through accreditation, data-driven performance, and quality improvement. Recipients must participate in ACC Accreditation Services programs, NCDR registries, and other improvement campaigns. The top 100 centers ranged from large hospital groups like Florida’s AdventHealth to individual community providers like Woodland Heights Medical Center in Texas.
- One Catheter, Two Energy Sources: Johnson & Johnson received FDA approval for its Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF catheter ablation system. Its unique design lets electrophysiologists deliver both radiofrequency and pulsed field energy through a single catheter. The dual-energy system will also integrate with the CARTO ecosystem for mapping, imaging, and PF Index guidance. This approval follows the device’s European introduction with J&J expecting the first U.S. procedures to begin this summer as part of a phased commercial rollout.
- Tennessee Heart Goes Independent: Tennessee Heart announced its transition to an independent, physician-led practice through a partnership with Atria Health. The move will be executed alongside an affiliation with Stern Cardiovascular, one of the nation’s leading independent cardiovascular groups. Tennessee Heart plans to recruit additional cardiologists and invest in advanced services, including an in-house PET/CT cardiac imaging system and an advanced cardiovascular ultrasound platform for echocardiography, vascular imaging, and stress echo.
- AI Plaque Analysis Gets Another Player: The FDA cleared Keya Medical’s DeepVessel Plaque, an AI tool that quantifies coronary plaque and assesses stenosis from CCTA scans. The clearance adds Keya to a growing field of vendors offering image-based AI plaque assessments for sharper patient risk stratification, and pairs with the company’s FFR-CT algorithm cleared in 2022. This lets the platform deliver both anatomical and functional assessments from a single CCTA scan. The algorithm is now indicated for adults 22 and older with suspected or known CAD.
- A New Watchman Challenger: New one-year data published in EuroIntervention found that MicroPort CardioFlow’s investigational AnchorMan LAAC device was noninferior to Boston Scientific’s older Watchman 2.5 in treating nonvalvular AFib. Across 216 randomized patients, the clinical success rate hit 98.1% in both the AnchorMan and Watchman 2.5 groups, with identical 12-month occlusion rates and comparable rates of death, stroke, major bleeding, and device-related complications. AnchorMan (no relation to Ron Burgundy) features a rounded distal end to boost contact with the LAA while limiting tissue damage.
- CorVista Notches CPT Coverage: CorVista Health announced that its cardiovascular diagnostics platform designed for AI-analysis of cardiac and hemodynamic signals now falls under the AMA’s Category III CPT code (1104T). The code is under a temporary designation for emerging technologies and will support data collection and utilization tracking that can pave the way toward future reimbursement pathways. CorVista also expects its PCWP Add-On algorithm to gain coverage under this code, though it’s still under FDA review and not commercially available in the U.S.
- Medtronic’s Second TPV Recall: Medtronic issued a recall for over 1.8k of its Harmony TPV devices due to potential detachment of the catheters’ tip. The FDA gave this warning its most serious classification: Type I, meaning ongoing use of the products in treating pulmonary regurgitation could cause serious injury or even death to patients. This withdrawal follows a 2022 recall of the same device for similar reasons, though the system was reportedly fixed and relaunched in 2023.
- The Growing Accessibility of PCSK9is: A new JAMA Cardiology letter mapped the increased prescription rates for PCSK9 inhibitors since their massive cost reduction. When prices for the cholesterol lowering medications were slashed by up to 60% near the start of 2019, the strict prior authorization requirements loosened, making the prescriptions more accessible — and the data shows that. The number of Medicare Part D beneficiaries using PSCK9is in 2023 was over 6x that of 2018, while the spending per prescription was halved.
- ACC’s DOAC Directive: The ACC’s new scientific statement clarified guidelines for the use of direct oral anticoagulants in treating and preventing thromboembolic disease. The authors outlined specific dosages and special considerations for prescribing the medications to patients with AFib, a history of stroke, and comorbidities such as liver disease and CKD. The directive aims to mitigate ongoing underutilization and dosing errors that limit the efficacy of DOACs, which have the potential to treat patients across a range of unique clinical backgrounds.
- STUN-AF Could Help Stunt Leaks: News out of NYV 2026 suggests ablation before occlusion may reduce peridevice leaks for AF patients. The nonrandomized STUN-AF study found that patients who had LAA ablation performed prior to LAA occlusion had substantially lower leak rates than those who didn’t at 4- (29% vs 64%) and 12-month (4% vs 42%) follow-ups. However, the verdict on prior ablation may still be out as researchers look towards a randomized trial.
- The Results of Going Radial: More NYV news indicates opting for the radial over the femoral artery for secondary access may make TAVR less risky. Results from SAFER-TAVI showed the radial method resulted in fewer bleeding risks and an 80% lower risk of complications at the secondary site than femoral procedures. Still, radial patients risk more radiation and have higher rates of switching to other access sites (4.4% vs 1.1%), so there may be a cost for foregoing the femoral artery.
|
|
Why Merge Hemo is the Cardiology Hemodynamics Leader
Thanks to feedback from its customers, Merge Hemo has been named the 2026 Best in KLAS for cardiology hemodynamics for the 14th time. Watch this on-demand virtual discussion to hear the factors behind their win and the latest innovations in hemodynamics.
|
|
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 Tony Gallagher, Director of Noninvasive Cardiology at Baptist Health Lexington about how Siemens Healthineers’ ACUSON Origin is reshaping daily practice and transforming the future of echocardiography.
|
|
Circle CVI’s CAD-RADS Rundown
Ever wondered how CAD-RADS enhances the communication of coronary artery disease findings from imaging studies? Check out this guide from Circle Cardiovascular Imaging about the evolution of CAD-RADS and how to incorporate it into your practice.
|
|
- Why Competitors Benchmark Against Monebo’s ECG Algorithm: In the world of cardiac monitoring, it’s a big deal when your competitors use your technology as their benchmark for success. Learn why Monebo Technologies’ ECG analysis algorithm has been the “predicate device” of at least 13 other companies FDA 510(k) clearance regulatory filings and what this means for providers and their patients.
- Fujifilm’s Ultrasound for every Cardiovascular Ultrasound Environment: From academia to clinical diagnostics, versatility in cardiac ultrasound is essential. Discover why clinicians are choosing Fujifilm’s LISENDO 880 for exceptional image quality, comprehensive strain analysis, stress imaging, and innovative Virtual Contrast technology — all while delivering outstanding value.
- 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.
- Harnessing the Power of AI to Improve Patient Care: Endeavor Health is one of the first healthcare providers in the Midwest to use AI in the echocardiography lab. Learn how they are harnessing echo AI’s tremendous potential to improve diagnoses in this report from Us2.ai.
- Heart failure places enormous strain on our healthcare systems and patients: There are 3.7 million US patients with HFpEF or HFmrEF, with prevalence only expected to rise. To learn more about the heart failure landscape and Bayer’s commitment to addressing patient unmet need, watch the video here.
- Making the Leap to Outsource Post-Processing: Interested in how to outsource cardiac image post-processing, but not sure where to start? PIA walks you through how to assess and compare vendors, understand pricing models and payment options, and outline your requirements to identify vendors who meet your clinical needs.
|
|
|
|
|
