What's New in Cardiac MRI? — May 23, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 56 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
May 23, 2026 · 56 articles · 15 research themes · covering May 16, 2026 – May 23, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s papers, cardiac MRI continues to expand from “diagnosis” into standardized, scalable measurement—both in the scanner and in the analysis pipeline. Multiple studies address protocol consistency (e.g., native T1 mapping location/technique, effects of formalin fixation on diffusion tensor imaging, and modality discordance between CMR and echocardiography), while others push toward faster, more generalizable acquisition (ultrafast 3D CMR in adolescents) and automated quantification (annotation-free LV ROI localization, AI-assisted CMR measurement concordance, and vision-language pretraining for report-linked embeddings). Together, these efforts aim to reduce variability so that CMR-derived metrics can be compared across sites, timepoints, and patient groups.
A second dominant theme is “tissue-based risk”: using CMR to detect and phenotype myocardial remodeling beyond conventional single-number thresholds. Studies in cardiomyopathies (HCM, dystrophinopathy, post–aortic stenosis diffuse fibrosis) and post-ischemic states (noninfarcted myocardium after AMI, adverse remodeling phenotypes after STEMI) show how fibrosis, granularity, diffuse patterns, and mechanics (strain/elasticity) can refine prognosis and potentially guide earlier intervention. In parallel, inflammatory and infiltrative diseases remain a major focus: reviews and validation work emphasize multimodality strategies (CMR plus FDG PET/CT, and practical PET optimization) for myocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, Chagas cardiomyopathy, and eosinophilic heart disease—highlighting diagnostic sensitivity limits of biopsy and the value of imaging integration.
Finally, several studies connect imaging to systemic physiology and broader clinical ecosystems: hemodynamic forces derived from CMR to predict immune-checkpoint inhibitor cardiotoxicity, metabolomics linked to RV function in pulmonary vascular disease, and biomarkers such as sST2 or iron repletion strategies in HFpEF. Case reports and translational models underscore the clinical breadth of modern cardiac imaging—from rare parasitic and tumor-like lesions to pulmonary artery stenting workflows—while epidemiologic analyses and AI models extend risk prediction into real-world settings (ICU ECG-to-LVEF prediction, stroke care monitoring via linked EHRs).
Cardiac MRI (CMR) Quantification & Standardization
Investigation of Concordance between Artificial Intelligence and Manual Measurements of the Cardiac Parameters in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
This prospective external validation study assessed concordance between a commercially available AI system and manual measurements for cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters, focusing on biventricular metrics and per-segment left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT). In 100 healthy Chinese volunteers scanned at 3.0T (cine short-axis and long-axis), AI-derived measurements showed agreement with manual measurements across the evaluated biventricular parameters and LVWT segments (with concordance quantified in the full abstract). This supports broader clinical/scientific use of AI-assisted CMR quantification, while emphasizing the need for external validation in settings distinct from the training data.
Tang R, Xu Z, Huang Z et al. · Journal of imaging informatics in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Validation of a novel three-dimensional ultrafast cardiac magnetic resonance imaging protocol in adolescents: a non-inferiority study compared with the two-dimensional gold standard.
This non-inferiority study validated a novel 3-dimensional ultrafast cardiac MRI protocol against a conventional 2-dimensional gold standard for assessing cardiac function, strain, and tissue characterization in adolescents. In 39 adolescents (mean age 12.2±2.6 years) scanned at 3T with both protocols, the key finding was that the 3D ultrafast approach performed non-inferiorly to the 2D protocol for the evaluated cardiac measures. This is significant for pediatric imaging because ultrafast 3D acquisition can reduce breath-holds and total scan time while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.
Chen W, Liu S, Li W et al. · Pediatric radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
T1 Mapping In Differentiating Healthy And Pathological Myocardium.
The study evaluated optimal native T1 mapping measurement location/technique on 1.5T cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) compared with controls. Different native T1 mapping approaches were assessed for diagnostic performance to differentiate healthy from pathological myocardium, with the goal of standardizing the measurement protocol. Standardized native T1 mapping could improve CMR-based tissue characterization and diagnostic consistency across cardiomyopathy phenotypes.
Bozer Uludağ S, Ünal S, Peker E et al. · Anatolian journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Comparison of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Disease Classification by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Echocardiography.
This retrospective study compared left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measurements obtained by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) versus transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in 1213 patients imaged within 1 week, and assessed determinants of discordance in European Society of Cardiology heart failure classification thresholds (50% and 35%). The key finding was that LVEF classification could differ between modalities and that specific imaging characteristics were associated with this discordance, affecting how patients were categorized for clinical decision-making. Clinically, the results highlight that modality choice (CMR vs TTE) can shift heart failure phenotype assignment, which may influence treatment eligibility and longitudinal management.
Le Y, An J, Liang L et al. · The American journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Impact of formalin fixation on biventricular parameters in cardiac diffusion tensor imaging: A pilot study in a miniature swine model.
This pilot ex-vivo swine study investigated how formalin fixation alters biventricular cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) parameters by acquiring high-resolution cDTI data before fixation and on days 5 and 9 after fixation, then comparing results to histology (H&E) on day 10. Using 64 myocardial segments (48 LV, 16 RV), the study found fixation-related changes in diffusion-derived metrics, including that subepicardial helix angle (HA) became more negative after fixation. These data are significant for standardizing cardiac DTI workflows and interpreting cDTI measurements in fixed tissue versus in-vivo imaging.
Zhu L, Xu J, Cui C et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
CMR Tissue Characterization (Fibrosis/Inflammation/ECV/T1/T2)
Distribution of diffuse myocardial fibrosis is uneven and associated with left ventricular function in severe aortic stenosis.
This study examined severe aortic stenosis patients to determine whether diffuse myocardial fibrosis (DMF) distribution assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance relates to left ventricular (LV) function and biopsy findings. In 43 patients undergoing CMR and echocardiography within 1 week before surgery, the authors compared DMF patterns inferred from CMR tissue characteristics with myocardial biopsy evidence and evaluated associations with LV functional measures. Demonstrating uneven DMF distribution linked to LV dysfunction could improve prognostic assessment and guide decisions about potential reversibility after valve replacement.
Holmberg E, Engvall J, Nylander E et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multiparametric Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Characterization of the Noninfarcted Myocardium: Definition, Assessment, and Clinical Significance.
This study reviewed and synthesized how multiparametric cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can characterize the noninfarcted myocardium (NIM) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), focusing on inflammation, interstitial expansion, and myocardial deformation beyond the infarcted and peri-infarct zones. The key finding is that CMR can detect clinically relevant structural and functional alterations in the NIM, indicating that ischemic injury extends beyond the infarct core. This supports using multiparametric CMR to risk-stratify and better understand remodeling in AMI by targeting the NIM as a therapeutic and prognostic substrate.
Pavon AG, Bergamaschi L, Guglielmo M et al. · JACC. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
CMR for Cardiomyopathies (HCM/DCM/Dystrophinopathy)
Epicardial adipose tissue is associated with impaired outcomes in genotype-positive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
In a retrospective genotype-positive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) cohort, investigators quantified epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and tested its association with malignant ventricular arrhythmias (MVA) and heart failure outcomes using multivariable Cox regression. The key finding was that higher EAT volume (vs low EAT, dichotomized at the median) was associated with impaired outcomes, including increased risk of MVA. Clinically, CMR-measured EAT may serve as an additional prognostic biomarker to refine risk in genotype-positive HCM patients.
Mahmoud B, Koppelaar AJ, Michels M et al. · European journal of heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Prognostic Impact of LGE Granularity Using CMR in End‑Stage Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
In patients with end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)—defined by left ventricular ejection fraction <50%—a retrospective multicenter cohort (2008–2024) evaluated the prognostic value of a late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) granularity model using CMR features including LGE location, extent, and pattern. The key finding was that LGE granularity metrics were associated with prognosis in end-stage HCM, indicating that not only LGE presence but also its microstructural “granularity” characteristics carry risk information. This advances CMR risk stratification in advanced HCM by providing a more informative LGE-based prognostic framework.
Hudelo J, Garot J, Toupin S et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The relationship between myocardial and hepatic T1 relaxometry on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and clinical outcomes late after tetralogy of Fallot repair.
In adults after tetralogy of Fallot repair (rTOF), this prospective study measured myocardial native T1 and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) as diffuse fibrosis surrogates and also quantified hepatic native T1/ECV-related parametric imaging, then related these to clinical outcomes late after repair. The key finding was that myocardial and hepatic T1 relaxometry/ECV measures were associated with each other and had prognostic value in the post-rTOF population, with analyses considering residual hemodynamic load (pulmonary stenosis and/or pulmonary regurgitation). Scientifically, it supports the concept of systemic (including hepatic) tissue remodeling alongside myocardial fibrosis, and clinically it suggests combined myocardial–hepatic CMR biomarkers may improve outcome prediction after rTOF.
Ishikita A, Marques L, Thomas S et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Discordant Cardiomyopathy Phenotypes in Siblings With Homozygous FKRP c.1100T>C.
This case report studied two South African Afrikaner siblings with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R9 who were both homozygous for the FKRP variant c.1100T>C (p.Ile367Thr) to explain discordant cardiomyopathy phenotypes. The brother developed progressive cardiomyopathy with reduced LVEF at presentation (41%) that advanced to dilated cardiomyopathy with extensive late gadolinium enhancement fibrosis (12–14/17 AHA segments) over 7 years, whereas the sister’s cardiac course differed (discordant phenotype). These findings highlight that even the same homozygous FKRP genotype can yield markedly different cardiac remodeling and fibrosis patterns, complicating genotype-to-cardiac-phenotype prediction in non-European founder variants.
Mahon N, Coad S, Kiamanesh O · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Natural history of cardiac involvement in women carrying pathogenic DMD gene variants: a 7-year longitudinal study.
This 7-year prospective longitudinal study assessed cardiac involvement in women carrying pathogenic dystrophin (DMD) gene variants (including Duchenne- and Becker-associated predicted phenotypes) using cardiac magnetic resonance with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Over follow-up, the investigators tracked changes in ventricular function, myocardial fibrosis, and arrhythmias to define the natural history of cardiac disease in this population. Defining long-term progression in DMD gene–carrier women is clinically significant for optimizing surveillance and anticipating treatment needs before advanced dysfunction.
Lyu Z, Joensen H, Poulsen NS et al. · Journal of neurology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI in cardiac dystrophinopathy: recommendations on imaging.
This expert recommendations article focused on cardiac MRI (CMR) in cardiac dystrophinopathy, particularly Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and how imaging should be used to monitor progressive cardiac dysfunction and treatment response. It emphasized that CMR can detect myocardial tissue changes earlier than echocardiography and maintains measurement accuracy across disease progression. These recommendations are clinically significant because regular, sensitive imaging surveillance can better inform timing and effectiveness of heart drug therapy in DMD.
McDiarmid A, Augustine D, Coats C et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Prevalence and characteristics of normal electrocardiograms in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective study examined hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients diagnosed by European Society of Cardiology (ESC) criteria to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of individuals presenting with a normal electrocardiogram (ECG). The key finding is that a subgroup of HCM patients can indeed have a normal ECG, which the authors evaluated for relationships with indicators of disease severity. Scientifically and clinically, recognizing this “normal ECG” phenotype may reduce diagnostic delay in HCM despite the common expectation of ECG abnormalities.
Guler A, Gorgulu BK, Surgit O et al. · Journal of electrocardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
CMR for Myocarditis & Inflammatory Heart Disease
Serum vs. tissue cytokine dysregulation in SLE-associated myocarditis: a hypothesis from an African cohort perspective.
This hypothesis-driven study compared serum cytokine profiles with cardiac tissue cytokine dysregulation in an African mixed-ancestry cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including SLE controls (n=13) and SLE with myocarditis (SLE-M; n=14), with one control group (n=6). The central finding was that cardiac tissue inflammatory cytokine patterns in lupus myocarditis did not necessarily mirror standard-of-care serum biomarkers and CMR findings, indicating discordance between blood and myocardial immune activity. Scientifically, this suggests that tissue-level cytokine profiling may better capture myocarditis mechanisms and could inform more targeted diagnostics or therapies for SLE-associated myocarditis.
Ollewagen T, Toit RD, Karamchand S et al. · Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
FDG PET for cardiac sarcoidosis: Protocol optimization, quantification, pitfalls, and multimodality imaging integration.
This review article summarized how to optimize and quantify 18F-FDG PET for cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), including common pitfalls and how PET integrates with echocardiography and cardiac MRI within a probabilistic multimodality diagnostic framework. The key takeaway was that protocol choices (dietary preparation, acquisition, and quantification approach) and interpretation pitfalls materially affect diagnostic performance, and that multimodality integration improves overall diagnostic confidence. Clinically, it provides practical guidance for more reliable PET-based diagnosis and management of heterogeneous cardiac sarcoidosis presentations.
Wopperer SB, Kronzer E, Ivare J et al. · Seminars in nuclear medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Current state of knowledge on the epidemiology, aetiology, diagnosis, and management of heart involvement in eosinophilia. A Clinical Consensus Statement of the ESC Working Group on Myocardial & Pericardial Diseases.
This ESC Working Group clinical consensus statement reviewed the epidemiology, causes, diagnosis, and management of heart involvement in eosinophilia (eosinophilic heart disease). The key message was that eosinophilic cardiac disease is frequently missed early, may occur without peripheral blood eosinophilia in some patients, and often requires biopsy of affected tissue to establish diagnosis. Scientifically and clinically, it aims to improve early recognition and guide management to reduce morbidity and mortality from eosinophil-driven cardiac injury.
Kuchynka P, Brucato A, Tschöpe C et al. · European journal of heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
[Chagas cardiomyopathy].
This review summarized clinical challenges and diagnostic strategies for chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, focusing on cardiovascular imaging modalities. It highlighted that echocardiography assesses function/structural abnormalities while cardiac magnetic resonance enables myocardial tissue characterization and fibrosis detection, supporting earlier detection and risk stratification. Improved imaging-based identification of myocardial involvement is clinically significant because Chagas cardiomyopathy can progress silently for decades to heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
Redzepi B, Mainta I, Jackson Y et al. · Revue medicale suisse · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
[Cardiac sarcoidosis in 2026 : current perspectives].
This perspective article reviewed current diagnostic approaches for cardiac sarcoidosis in the context of systemic sarcoidosis, emphasizing that endomyocardial biopsy has limited sensitivity (~20%). It underscored the role of advanced imaging—particularly [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]-FDG PET/CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)—for prompt and accurate detection of myocardial involvement. Earlier and more accurate diagnosis is scientifically and clinically significant given the high morbidity and mortality from arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death.
Sritharan A, Hermann Kamani C, Lu H et al. · Revue medicale suisse · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Multimodality Imaging in Inflammatory Cardiac Disease.
This review summarized the role of multimodality imaging in inflammatory cardiac diseases, including myocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, infective endocarditis, and pericarditis. It emphasized that echocardiography is first-line for IE and pericardial effusion, CMR provides gold-standard tissue characterization for myocarditis and cardiac sarcoidosis, CT defines anatomy (e.g., valves/abscesses), and FDG PET/CT supports assessment of inflammatory activity. Such integrated imaging strategies are clinically significant because they improve diagnostic accuracy and guide management across diverse inflammatory etiologies.
Mahmood A, Ramesh J, Patel DS et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Insights Into the Natural History of Recurrent Myocarditis, A Multicenter International Study (Re-Myo Study).
This multicenter international study investigated the natural history and outcomes of recurrent acute myocarditis (Re-AM) in 141 biopsy- or cardiac MRI-proven recurrent cases (ages 35 [26–45], 77% male) compared with 372 patients with single acute myocarditis (S-AM). It found that recurrence is clinically distinct and associated with a measurable risk of adverse outcomes, assessed using a composite endpoint including all-cause mortality, heart transplant, and major ventricular arrhythmias. The scientific significance is that characterizing recurrent myocarditis can inform prognosis and guide management strategies after a second episode.
Baggio C, Cannata A, Gasperetti A et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CMR for Valvular Heart Disease (Aortic Stenosis/Regurgitation)
Contemporary Overview of Aortic Regurgitation in Young Individuals: Insights From Real-Life Evidence.
This review studied aortic regurgitation (AR) in young individuals aged 18–44 years, focusing on real-world diagnostic patterns and outcomes. It found that AR in young adults is frequently under- or misdiagnosed and that prognosis depends on regurgitation severity, underlying etiology, early left ventricular dysfunction, and the intervention strategy, with emerging evidence proposing updated echocardiographic thresholds for left ventricular structural/functional assessment. The scientific significance is improved timing of surgery in asymptomatic chronic AR using multimodality imaging—while echocardiography remains the primary tool.
Sozzi FB, Gamberini G, Kim JK et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CMR for Myocardial Mechanics & Strain/Elasticity
Changes in myocardial elasticity derived from in-vivo cardiac MRI in a swine model of ischemic heart failure.
This in-vivo swine study investigated myocardial elasticity changes after ischemic heart failure by deriving the secant modulus (a combined wall stress–wall strain measure) from cardiac MRI. In male Yucatan mini swine (n=15) undergoing 90-minute occlusion-reperfusion, the key finding was that secant modulus captured remodeling-related myocardial mechanical alterations beyond what is reflected by left ventricular ejection fraction alone, potentially enabling earlier detection markers. Translationally, this positions MRI-derived myocardial elasticity as a more sensitive biomarker for post-myocardial-infarction progression and therapeutic monitoring.
Lefkowitz E, Ref J, Bravo F et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Dynamic right ventricular and atrial volume responses to exercise in endurance-trained and untrained healthy individuals.
This study compared dynamic right ventricular (RV) and atrial (left atrium [LA], right atrium [RA]) volume responses to exercise in endurance-trained (ET) versus untrained (UT) healthy individuals using exercise real-time CMR with respiratory control. It found that RV and atrial volume changes during exercise differed between ET and UT groups when standardized for respiration. Understanding these chamber-specific exercise adaptations is scientifically significant for interpreting normal physiology and distinguishing training-related remodeling from pathology.
Östenson B, Ostenfeld E, Edlund J et al. · PloS one · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Layer-specific fast strain-encoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance in suspected acute coronary syndrome: a prospective study.
In a prospective single-center observational study, patients with chest pain and low-to-intermediate pretest probability for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) underwent rapid layer-specific fast strain-encoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance (fSENC) before further therapy. The key aim was to determine whether layer-specific strain patterns on fast CMR can help identify ischemic causes among patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. If effective, this technique could improve early noninvasive triage by linking myocardial mechanics to coronary plaque rupture requiring invasive management.
Weberling LD, Siry D, Haney AC et al. · Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac Imaging AI & Computational Methods
Prediction of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction from ICU Electrocardiograms Using Vision Transformer Embeddings and Multimodal Features.
In a retrospective cohort of ~900 ICU admissions, researchers developed a multimodal model to predict reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≤40%) from 12-lead ICU electrocardiograms by combining quantitative ECG features with deep Vision Transformer (ViT) embeddings pretrained on CMR data. The key finding was that the proposed ViT-embedding plus ECG-feature approach enabled direct prediction of reduced LVEF in the ICU setting using machine learning classifiers (Random Forest, XGBoost, and a focal-loss-trained shallow MLP). This is clinically significant because it could accelerate identification of systolic dysfunction when echocardiography or CMR is delayed or unavailable.
Lenkowicz J, di Giorgi N · Studies in health technology and informatics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Contrastive language image pretraining for a cardiac magnetic resonance image embedding with zero-shot capabilities.
This study developed and evaluated CMR-CLIP, a contrastive language image pretraining model that learns vision-language embeddings from cardiac MRI images paired with associated reports, enabling zero-shot capabilities. Trained on 11,028 single-center CMR studies, the key finding was that the model could produce clinically meaningful image embeddings and perform downstream tasks without task-specific labeled training (as demonstrated by the reported zero-shot evaluations). This is significant because it reduces reliance on large labeled CMR datasets and could improve retrieval, classification, or decision support using only report text supervision.
Nakashima M, Qiu J, Huang P et al. · Nature communications · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Fast and scalable annotation-free LV-centered ROI localisation in stress perfusion cardiac MRI.
This paper developed an annotation-free, fast and scalable left ventricle (LV)-centered region-of-interest (ROI) localization pipeline for stress perfusion cardiac MRI that uses Fast Fourier Transform-based localization, Sobel edge refinement, and a heuristic fallback, followed by a circular ROI post-processing step. The key finding is that consistent LV-centered ROIs can be generated directly from raw stress perfusion CMR frames without task-specific labeled training data. This is significant for enabling scalable stress perfusion CMR analysis in settings where manual annotation is costly and labeled datasets are scarce.
Kalashami MP, Fagioli A, Marini MR et al. · Computers in biology and medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Fourier-Net+: Band-Limited Spatial Representation for Efficient Medical Image Registration.
This work proposed Fourier-Net+ for efficient medical image registration by learning a band-limited, low-dimensional representation of the displacement field using deterministic Fourier-domain band-limiting and a parameter-free, model-driven decoder. The key finding is that operating in a band-limited Fourier representation reduces the computational burden of dense displacement prediction compared with full-resolution U-Net-style approaches. Scientifically, Fourier-Net+ offers a more resource-efficient registration framework that can improve feasibility for high-resolution volumetric imaging across modalities.
Jia X, Thorley A, Gomez A et al. · IEEE transactions on neural networks and learning systems · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Multimodal Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection and Precision Management of Inflammatory and Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies.
This article reviewed how multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) can enable early detection and precision management of inflammatory and infiltrative cardiomyopathies (including cardiac sarcoidosis, transthyretin amyloidosis, and autoimmune myocarditis). It found that AI systems can integrate ECG, echocardiography, CMR, PET/scintigraphy, biomarkers, and electronic health record (EHR) features to improve diagnostic suspicion, tissue-based phenotyping, and risk-directed triage. The scientific significance is earlier, more accurate identification of these conditions before advanced myocardial dysfunction develops.
Adrejiya P, Alkhatib DA, Aljaroudi W · Current problems in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
A composable multimodal framework for cine CMR-text-driven prediction of heart failure outcomes.
This study proposed and evaluated a composable multimodal framework for cine CMR text-driven prediction of heart failure outcomes. It found that combining multimodal inputs derived from cine CMR with text-driven modeling can improve prediction of heart failure outcomes compared with less integrated approaches (details truncated in the abstract). The clinical significance is that such frameworks could support more holistic, data-driven risk stratification and treatment optimization in heart failure using cine CMR information.
Chen J, Sun J, Wang X et al. · Physiological measurement · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality Imaging for Cardiac Masses & Rare Lesions
New-Onset Atrial Flutter Revealing a Large Right Coronary Artery to Superior Vena Cava Fistula.
A 63-year-old man with new-onset atrial flutter was evaluated for a rare coronary anomaly using multimodality imaging. Coronary computed tomography angiography and cardiac magnetic resonance identified a large right coronary artery-to-superior vena cava fistula with right-sided chamber dilation, and cardiac catheterization confirmed the diagnosis before successful transcatheter coil embolization. The case highlights the diagnostic value of CCTA/CMR for coronary fistulas presenting with arrhythmias and hemodynamic instability.
Acharya S, Patel V, Shahane S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Giant Cardiac Glomangioma With Extensive Intravascular Extension: A Surgical and Pathological Rarity.
This case report described a patient with a giant cardiac glomangioma showing extensive intravascular extension from the right ventricular free wall into the right atrium and inferior vena cava, reaching the left common iliac vein. The key finding was that multimodality imaging supported the diagnosis and the tumor was successfully treated with surgical excision, with an excellent clinical outcome. Scientifically and clinically, it underscores the extreme rarity and variable anatomic spread of cardiac glomangioma and the role of imaging and surgery in curative management.
Bhutta M, Tariq K, Iqtadar R et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Diagnostic Accuracy of an Integrated Multimodality Imaging Approach in Patients With Cardiac Masses.
This prospective study evaluated diagnostic accuracy for malignant cardiac masses by comparing multiparametric scores derived from echocardiography, cardiac MRI (CMR), cardiac CT (CCT), and 18F-FDG PET—individually and in integrated combinations—using histology as the reference standard. The key result was that integrated multimodality imaging strategies improved discrimination of malignant cardiac masses compared with single-modality approaches (with performance quantified by diagnostic accuracy metrics, as reported in the full abstract). Clinically, this supports using combined echo/CMR/CCT/18F-FDG PET scoring to better triage suspected cardiac masses toward appropriate oncologic management.
Angeli F, Armillotta M, Foà A et al. · JACC. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Rare presentation of right ventricular myxoma causing severe anaemia and acute kidney injury.
This BMJ case report described a 53-year-old man with a rare right ventricular myxoma presenting with severe anaemia and acute kidney injury. Using transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography, CT with FDG PET, cardiac MRI, and endomyocardial biopsy, clinicians established the diagnosis and the patient underwent surgical excision with tricuspid valve repair. The case underscores the diagnostic complexity of intracardiac masses in atypical presentations and highlights the value of multimodality imaging plus tissue confirmation.
Shah S, Gill JS, Gill J et al. · BMJ case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac tumour in paediatrics: the role of multimodal imaging and therapeutic catheterisation.
This case report described a 14-year-old male with an incidental cardiac murmur initially diagnosed with asymmetric septal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, later found to have a highly vascularized interventricular septal mass causing right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The key finding was that multimodal imaging (including cardiac MRI with high extracellular volume and characteristic signal on HASTE/T1/T2 sequences) identified a vascular lesion rather than hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the patient underwent therapeutic catheter-based management. The significance is that pediatric cardiac tumors can mimic cardiomyopathy, and multimodal imaging plus targeted catheterization can be crucial for diagnosis and treatment planning.
Trujeque L, Hernandez K, Tavera A · Cardiology in the young · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Massive cardiac echinococcosis.
This article is a case report describing massive cardiac echinococcosis, a rare manifestation of systemic hydatid disease, and its multimodal imaging presentation. The key finding is that the patient’s atypical symptoms (e.g., chest pain or breathlessness) were associated with characteristic findings across chest radiography, CT, and cardiac MRI. Clinically, the report highlights the value of comprehensive imaging to diagnose an uncommon but potentially serious cardiac parasitic infection.
Rai P, Aswani Y · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Pulmonary Vascular Disease & Right Heart (PAH/CTEPH/RV)
Hemodynamic and metabolomic responses to infusion of GLP-1 agonist exenatide in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
This first-in-disease human study administered the GLP-1 receptor agonist exenatide intravenously during right heart catheterization in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), with parallel acute testing in a monocrotaline (MCT) PAH rodent model. Exenatide was well tolerated and produced acute hemodynamic improvement (including reduced mean pulmonary artery pressure) alongside multisite metabolite sampling and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) assessment in the animal model. These findings suggest that GLP-1 agonist therapy may rapidly modulate pulmonary vascular physiology and metabolism, supporting further mechanistic and therapeutic trials in PAH/CTEPH.
Samaranayake CB, Niglas M, Baxan N et al. · JCI insight · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Right Heart Diastology, Where Are We Now?
This 2026 review synthesized evidence on right heart diastolic dysfunction across pulmonary vascular disease, heart failure, and congenital heart disease, reframing “right heart diastology” as a unified diastolic unit. The key finding was conceptual and mechanistic integration showing that abnormalities in right atrial function, right ventricular compliance, and pulmonary arterial load—often mediated by load dependence—can precede overt right ventricular systolic failure. The review is significant because it clarifies how invasive physiology and imaging measurements can be combined to better define and detect early right-sided disease.
Kocx CJ, Hemnes AR, Healy J et al. · Circulation research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Metabolomics of Right Ventricular Function in Pulmonary Hypertension.
Using the multicenter PVDOMICS (Pulmonary Vascular Disease Phenomics) cohort, investigators performed metabolomic analyses to identify metabolites and pathways associated with right ventricular (RV) systolic function, measured by fractional area change (echocardiography), global longitudinal strain (echo), and ejection fraction (cardiac magnetic resonance). The key finding was that specific metabolites/pathways correlated with RV systolic function and that these associations differed by pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary hypertension group 1 status, and sex. This is important because it links RV functional impairment to distinct metabolic signatures, potentially enabling metabolomics-informed phenotyping and targeted therapies beyond group 1 PAH.
Chacon-Barahona J, Chung SJ, Garry JD et al. · Circulation research · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Cardio-Oncology & Cancer-Related Cardiac Involvement
Imaging of Myocardial Carcinoid Metastasis.
This JACC Case Reports article described two patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) presenting with isolated cardiac metastases without valvular involvement. The key finding was that Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET/CT identified the cardiac lesions and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) further characterized myocardial metastases, whereas transthoracic echocardiography had limited sensitivity for detecting myocardial involvement. Clinically, the case series supports multimodality imaging—especially CMR following DOTATATE PET/CT—for improved recognition and characterization of myocardial NET metastases.
Ranganath S, Ynalvez L, Ryoo Ali HJ et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Superior anti-DLBCL efficacy of novel organic arsenical Z2-A-Z2 through ROS-mediated apoptosis and critical NF-κB/IκBα signaling pathway inhibition.
This preclinical cancer study evaluated the novel organic arsenical Z2-A-Z2 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), testing both GCB- and ABC-subtype cell lines and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). It found superior anti-DLBCL efficacy driven by ROS-mediated apoptosis and inhibition of the NF-κB/IκBα signaling pathway, supported by assays including CCK-8 for proliferation and flow cytometry plus Western blot for apoptosis/ROS and pathway signaling. The clinical significance is that Z2-A-Z2 may represent a targeted therapeutic strategy for NF-κB–dependent DLBCL resistance.
Wei W, Ma Y, Liu Y et al. · Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Hemodynamics & Physiologic Modeling (including HDFs)
Relationship between hemodynamic forces based on CMR and major adverse cardiac events in cancer patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors.
This prospective multicenter study investigated whether hemodynamic forces (HDFs) derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters predict major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in cancer patients receiving anti–PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. Patients with normal baseline echocardiographic cardiac function underwent CMR at about 12 weeks after starting immunotherapy, and the study tested associations between CMR-derived HDFs and subsequent MACE. If validated, CMR-based HDF metrics could enable earlier identification of patients at higher risk for immune checkpoint inhibitor–related cardiotoxicity.
Gao D, Wang Y, Shi Y et al. · BMC medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiometabolic Risk & Biomarkers
Glucose Disposal Rate: A Novel Measure of Insulin Resistance Associated With Myocardial Fibrosis and Incident Heart Failure.
This cohort study examined whether the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), a surrogate of insulin resistance, is associated with myocardial fibrosis and incident heart failure in 6,025 participants from the MESA study. It found that reduced eGDR (higher insulin resistance) was linked to myocardial fibrosis and subsequent heart failure risk, using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to quantify left ventricular function and fibrosis measures. The clinical significance is that eGDR could help identify cardiometabolic risk that translates into myocardial remodeling and future heart failure.
Bukhari S, Kwapong YA, Yanek LR et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Associations of Metabolic Phenotypes with Cardiac Structure and Clinical Outcomes: Insights from the UK Biobank.
This UK Biobank analysis studied how metabolic phenotypes—metabolically healthy nonobese (MHN), metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy nonobese (MUN), and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO)—relate to cardiac structure and clinical outcomes using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). It found that metabolic status combined with obesity category was associated with differences in CMR-derived cardiac structure and with downstream clinical outcomes over a median 5.1-year follow-up. The clinical significance is that metabolic phenotyping may refine cardiovascular risk prediction beyond obesity alone.
Bogner B, Jung M, Reisert M et al. · The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Subclinical Origins of Cardiometabolic Risk in Indian Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.
This cross-sectional study assessed cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors in apparently healthy Indian adolescents aged 11–16 years, relating anthropometry and hepatic fat to CMR using MRI proton density fat fraction (PDFF) on a 3.0-T GE Signa Architect and whole-body fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The abstract indicates that at least one CMR factor was present in 32.5% of participants, and the study measured associations between fat depots and cardiometabolic biomarkers including HbA1c, lipid profile, and seated blood pressure. Clinically, the work suggests that subclinical cardiometabolic risk can be detected in adolescence and may be linked to hepatic fat measured by quantitative MRI.
Hegde SG, Kankara SR, Raj JM et al. · Indian pediatrics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Biomarkers for Cardiac Inflammation/Remodeling
Elevated sST2 associates with cardiac involvement and declines after treatment in newly diagnosed patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.
This study measured soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) longitudinally over 2 years in newly diagnosed and established patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), comparing 34 newly diagnosed IIM patients and 109 established IIM patients to age- and gender-matched healthy controls and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The key finding was that elevated sST2 was associated with cardiac involvement (CI) and declined after treatment in newly diagnosed IIM patients. Scientifically and clinically, sST2 emerges as a potentially useful biomarker for detecting and monitoring cardiac inflammation/remodeling in IIM, with potential to improve prognostication and treatment response tracking.
Hanna B, Lundberg IE, Ekwall AH et al. · Arthritis research & therapy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Intravenous IRON supplementation in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and iron deficiency (IRON-HFpEF): a comprehensive phase II multicentre placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial.
The IRON-HFpEF phase II multicentre randomized placebo-controlled trial studied whether intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) improves cardiovascular function and exercise tolerance in 45 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF; LV ejection fraction ≥50%) and iron deficiency (excluding those with iron deficiency anemia). Participants were randomized to FCM versus placebo, with mechanistic assessments at baseline and 4 months including exercise right-heart catheterization, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), cardiac MRI, and exercise calf muscle 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. If effective, this strategy could establish a causal, imaging- and physiology-based approach to treating iron deficiency in HFpEF to improve exercise capacity and cardiac function.
van de Bovenkamp AA, Nassiri S, de Man FS et al. · European journal of heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiovascular Epidemiology & Outcomes (including natural history)
Rethinking Post-Infarction Remodeling: Identification and Validation of Data-Driven Cardiac MRI Phenotypes for Risk Stratification.
This prospective longitudinal study of reperfused STEMI patients used unsupervised clustering on longitudinal cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) measures (CMR at <7 days and 6 months) to derive adverse left ventricular remodeling (ALVR) phenotypes beyond conventional end-diastolic volume index and ejection fraction change definitions. The key finding was that data-driven CMR remodeling phenotypes provided improved prognostic stratification compared with standard ALVR definitions, and the phenotype model was validated in an independent cohort. This supports a more precise, CMR-based risk stratification strategy after STEMI that may better identify patients at risk for adverse outcomes using phenotype rather than single metric thresholds.
Xiang JY, Wu J, Zhao Y et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Measurement of quality of stroke care with national electronic health records: a prospective cohort study during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This prospective cohort study used linked national electronic health records in England to evaluate stroke care quality before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, including 425,675 adults and metrics such as secondary prevention medication dispensing and a proxy for disability-time spent at home (“home-time”). The key finding was that linked EHRs can quantify stroke care quality using measures not routinely captured in standard audits, enabling comparison across the pandemic period. This is significant because it supports scalable, near-real-time monitoring of stroke outcomes and secondary prevention delivery at population level using national data linkages.
Farrell J, Nolan J, Lambert R et al. · BMJ open · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Trends and Projections for Aortic Stenosis and Hypertension-Related Mortality Among Older Adults in the United States: A Retrospective Population-Based Analysis.
This retrospective population-based analysis used CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death data to examine trends and projected mortality among older U.S. adults with comorbid aortic stenosis (AS) and hypertension (HTN) from 1999–2020. The key finding was that mortality trends differed across time and that the study used joinpoint regression and ARIMA modeling to project outcomes to 2030, highlighting demographic-geographic disparities. This is significant for public health planning because it quantifies the burden of combined AS+HTN and informs future resource needs and risk stratification in aging populations.
Bhatti MI, Safiullah M, Farhan K et al. · High blood pressure & cardiovascular prevention : the official journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Structural and Functional Abnormalities in the Preterm Heart: From Development to Adulthood.
This review studied how preterm birth affects cardiac development and leads to structural and functional abnormalities from infancy through adulthood in humans. It found that preterm infants—even with structurally normal hearts—have higher long-term cardiovascular disease risk, linked to mechanisms such as abnormal extracellular matrix, cardiomyocyte mitochondrial dysfunction, immature sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum, oxygen exposure dysregulation, and increased procedural stress. The clinical significance is that these developmental abnormalities justify heightened cardiovascular surveillance and earlier risk stratification in people born preterm.
Zegelbone P, Young K, Hughes F et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Determining adverse childhood experiences and their association with substance use among young adults in universities and colleges in Mombasa County, Kenya.
This cross-sectional study assessed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their association with substance use among 849 young adults sampled from universities and colleges in Mombasa County, Kenya. It found that participants’ history of ACEs was associated with substance use behaviors including alcohol, tobacco products, and illicit drugs. The public-health significance is that ACE screening and prevention efforts in higher-education settings could help reduce later substance use risk.
Odero M, Kihoro RW, Mbogo PW et al. · Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Epidemiology of non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
This narrative review studied the epidemiology of non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), defined by left ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction, with emphasis on prevalence, sex differences, and genetic contributions. It found that non-ischaemic DCM is more common than previously thought (around 1 in 220 prevalence based on cardiac MRI studies), is about twice as prevalent in men as women, and may be even higher when early/subclinical disease is included, with genetic technologies improving understanding of its genetic basis. The scientific significance is better estimation of disease burden and more informed genetic evaluation for patients with non-ischaemic DCM.
Ramos-López N, Domínguez F, Ochoa JP et al. · Nature reviews. Cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Translational/Preclinical Models & Workflow Feasibility
Arteriovenous fistula creation results in cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in a uremic pig model.
This study used a uremic pig model of end-stage kidney disease (CKD induced by renal embolization) to test how arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation affects cardiac function and remodeling, including hemodynamic support via percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). The key finding was that AVF creation resulted in cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in this uremic large-animal model. This is significant because it provides a mechanistic platform to study AVF-associated cardiovascular deterioration relevant to hemodialysis patients.
Kane J, Singh PG, Kilari S et al. · American journal of physiology. Renal physiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Feasibility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Pulmonary Artery Stenting in a Commercial Wide-Bore 0.55-T Scanner.
The study evaluated the feasibility of real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided pulmonary artery (PA) stenting in a swine model using a commercial wide-bore 0.55-T MRI system with ferumoxytol-enhanced imaging. PA stent deployment was technically successful in 7 of 10 juvenile pigs, with all successful cases occurring after switching venous access from femoral to external jugular. These findings support the scientific feasibility of radiation-free PA stenting workflows using low-field MRI and ferumoxytol-enhanced visualization for complex vascular interventions.
Liu Y, Kelly JM, Swinning J et al. · JACC. Basic to translational science · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Generated automatically on May 23, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published May 16, 2026 – May 23, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.