What’s New in Cardiac MRI?

July 03, 2026 · 91 articles · 15 research themes · covering June 26, 2026 – July 03, 2026

Overview

This week’s cardiovascular research is dominated by two converging trends: (1) using advanced cardiac imaging—especially CMR tissue mapping, strain, and hemodynamic techniques—to extract prognostic “phenotypes” beyond conventional measures, and (2) scaling these tools through automation, AI reconstruction, and physics innovations that make imaging faster, more reproducible, and more accessible (including low-field CMR).

Across infarction, myocarditis, cardiomyopathies, and systemic disease states, multiple studies emphasize that the heart’s downstream risk often reflects more than the primary lesion. Examples include CMR-derived microvascular obstruction and splenic T1/ECV patterns after STEMI, longitudinal CMR evolution in acute myocarditis, and atrial–ventricular coupling metrics (LACI) in hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy for arrhythmia and reverse-remodeling prediction. In parallel, work on coronary microvascular dysfunction in MINOCA/ANOCA highlights both promise (noninvasive OS-CMR for endothelial-dependent CMVD) and limitations (stress native T1/T2 mapping may miss abnormalities in specific MINOCA subgroups).

Finally, the digest reflects a broader move toward precision and standardization: endotype-informed therapy concepts (eplerenone for microvascular dysfunction in MINOCA/nonischemic injury), improved patient selection for transcatheter valve repair, and guideline/diagnostic framework reviews (myocarditis/pericarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis EMB vs imaging). Methodologically, studies also tackle real-world variability—between imaging sites, observers, and modalities—while leveraging machine learning and EHR/NLP pipelines to enable large-scale, longitudinal cardio-oncology and risk prediction.

---

Cardiac MRI biomarkers of infarction and microvascular injury

Comparison of Cardiac MR with PET CT in Evaluation of Myocardial Viability: Single-Center Experience.

This prospective single-center study compared cardiac MRI (including end-diastolic wall thickness, regional wall motion abnormalities, and late gadolinium enhancement [LGE]) with PET-CT as the gold standard for myocardial viability in 28 adult patients with PET-CT perfusion/metabolism matched or mismatched defects. CMR parameters were assessed for their ability to identify infarcted versus viable myocardium relative to PET-CT findings. The results inform how CMR viability markers may be used clinically when PET-CT is unavailable or to complement metabolic assessment.

Arafath MY, Debi U, Singhal M et al. · The Indian journal of radiology & imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Impact of Microvascular Obstruction on Left Atrial and Ventricular Myocardial Deformation and In-hospital Complications in Reperfused ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients.

This retrospective CMR study assessed 95 consecutive reperfused ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients imaged within 7 days, comparing those with microvascular obstruction (MVO; n=30, defined on late gadolinium enhancement as a hypo-enhanced core surrounded by hyper-enhanced myocardium) versus those without MVO. The key finding was that MVO presence adversely affected left atrial and ventricular myocardial deformation parameters and was associated with worse in-hospital complications. These results suggest that CMR-detected MVO provides clinically actionable prognostic information soon after reperfused STEMI.

Cau R, Pinna A, Bassareo PP et al. · Journal of thoracic imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Construction and modification of a low-copy plasmid-based infectious clone for GI-19 genotype IBV via Red/ET recombineering: A simplified and efficient reverse genetics system for coronavirus.

This study constructed and modified a low-copy plasmid-based infectious clone for avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) GI-19 genotype using Red/ET recombineering to create a simplified reverse genetics system. The key finding is that the platform enables streamlined genome cDNA assembly, precise genetic modification, and rapid screening of recombinant viruses via RecE/RecT-mediated recombination with positive and counter-selection. Scientifically and practically, this provides an efficient tool for generating IBV mutants to study viral biology and potentially support vaccine or antiviral research.

Feng K, Li Y, Song C et al. · Poultry science · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Correlation across modalities and clinical phenotypes between left Ventricular global longitudinal strain by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance.

This systematic review and meta-analysis studied cross-modality agreement of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) measured by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) versus cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) across cohorts with and without cardiovascular disease. The key finding was that patient-level correlation coefficients (Pearson r) between STE and CMR-FT were pooled using Fisher’s z-transformation with random-effects modeling, with subgroup analyses assessing consistency in healthy versus cardiovascular disease cohorts. Scientifically, it clarifies how interchangeable LV-GLS measurements are across imaging platforms and phenotypes, informing clinical interpretation and study design when combining echocardiography and CMR endpoints.

Pascalis L, Fazzini L, Pugliesi GM et al. · Current problems in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Systemic inflammation, myocardial fibrosis, and subclinical cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV.

This cross-sectional pilot study examined matched veterans with and without HIV to determine how systemic inflammation relates to myocardial fibrosis and subclinical cardiovascular disease using blood inflammatory markers plus echocardiography and cardiac MRI (with coronary calcium scoring). The key finding was that the study framework linked inflammatory status to myocardial fibrosis and early cardiovascular abnormalities in people living with HIV, supporting a mechanistic role for chronic inflammation in accelerated cardiac aging. This is clinically significant because it suggests noninvasive imaging biomarkers (cardiac MRI fibrosis and subclinical disease measures) may help stratify cardiovascular risk in HIV beyond traditional factors.

Simkevich M, Chen YY, Parent M et al. · American heart journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

The imaging spectrum of myocardial infarction and its associated complications: a contemporary pictorial review of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

This contemporary pictorial review summarized the imaging spectrum of myocardial infarction (MI) and its complications using computed tomography (CCT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), emphasizing how each modality contributes from acute diagnosis to tissue characterization and functional assessment. The key finding was the complementary role of CCT for coronary anatomy and CMR for multiparametric evaluation of MI (including edema/area at risk and infarct characterization, plus ventricular function). This is significant for clinical practice because it provides an integrated framework for selecting and interpreting advanced cardiac imaging across the MI timeline.

Zhang Y, Ko SM · Diagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Prognostic implications of coronary microvascular dysfunction in STEMI with and without metabolic syndrome.

This multicenter prospective study enrolled STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention to evaluate whether coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), quantified by an angiography-derived index of microcirculatory resistance, predicts outcomes differently in patients with versus without metabolic syndrome (MetS). CMD conferred worse cardiovascular prognosis after STEMI, and its prognostic impact was assessed across MetS strata. The findings are clinically significant because they support using angiography-derived CMD measures to refine post-STEMI risk stratification, particularly in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Guo Q, Guo Y, Shi S et al. · Revista espanola de cardiologia (English ed.) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Splenic tissue alterations in ST-elevation myocardial infarction: determinants and prognostic implications.

This retrospective study evaluated splenic tissue alterations measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)—including native splenic T1 times and extracellular volume (ECV)—in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent CMR within 10 days after primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The key finding was that specific splenic T1 patterns were determined by features of the infarction and were associated with adverse clinical outcomes during follow-up. These results support a clinically relevant cardio-splenic inflammatory axis in STEMI and suggest that CMR-derived splenic T1/ECV phenotypes may improve risk stratification beyond myocardial injury alone.

Yin TX, Zhu GJ, Gu XY et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · 2 citations · View on PubMed ↗

---

Cardio-oncology imaging and cardiotoxicity management

Zanubrutinib combined with R-CHOP in previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with specific gene alteration: a phase II study.

This phase II trial studied zanubrutinib combined with R-CHOP as first-line therapy in adults aged 18–75 years with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) carrying high-risk genomic alterations (including MYD88, CD79B, NOTCH1, TP53 mutations and/or MYC rearrangements). The key finding was the prospective evaluation of this genomically defined regimen in previously untreated patients with these specific molecular features. If effective, the approach could provide a targeted frontline strategy for DLBCL patients with aberrant BCR signaling who have poorer outcomes with standard R-CHOP alone.

Zhang Q, Jiang S, Wei R et al. · Blood cancer journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Updated patient-reported outcomes and the effect of disease progression on health-related quality of life in the PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 trial of niraparib first-line maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer.

This secondary analysis studied updated patient-reported outcomes and the impact of disease progression on health-related quality of life in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer randomized to niraparib first-line maintenance versus placebo in the PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 trial. The key finding was that longitudinal HRQOL was assessed using validated instruments (EORTC QLQ-C30/OV28, FOSI, and EQ-5D-5L with EQ-VAS) and analyzed in relation to disease progression. Scientifically and clinically, the results clarify how niraparib maintenance and progression affect patient-centered outcomes, informing benefit–risk discussions.

Shahin MS, Lorusso D, Backes FJ et al. · Gynecologic oncology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Cardiac Safety Outcomes in Delandistrogene Moxeparvovec Clinical Trials for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with Up to 5 Years of Follow-up.

This pooled clinical-safety assessment studied cardiac outcomes in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients receiving delandistrogene moxeparvovec (a gene transfer delivering functional dystrophin) across trials with up to 5 years of follow-up. The key finding was characterization of cardiac safety using adverse event monitoring, regular echocardiography, and serial troponin I measurements in trials that excluded patients with LVEF <40%. The results are clinically significant for defining the long-term cardiac risk profile of dystrophin gene therapy in DMD.

Veerapandiyan A, Bourke J, Soslow JH et al. · Cardiology and therapy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

CAR-T Cell Therapy Versus Salvage Chemotherapy in Relapsed/Refractory DLBCL: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Integrating Radiologic, Laboratory, and Histopathologic Correlates.

This systematic review and meta-analysis compared chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy versus salvage chemotherapy in adult patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL), integrating radiologic, laboratory, and histopathologic correlates. The analysis synthesized comparative effectiveness across included trials and high-quality cohort studies to determine whether CAR-T improves outcomes relative to salvage chemotherapy in this high-risk population. The findings are intended to support evidence-based treatment selection for R/R DLBCL, particularly in patients with primary refractory disease or high-risk molecular features.

Elsayed FM, Baban J, Elkholy HY et al. · La Clinica terapeutica · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Atorvastatin and left ventricular strain during anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

This randomized STOP-CA trial analysis studied whether atorvastatin protects against anthracycline-induced declines in left ventricular strain in lymphoma patients randomized to placebo (n=150) or atorvastatin (n=150) for 12 months. The key finding is that atorvastatin attenuates reductions in cardiac MRI-derived global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global circumferential strain (GCS) measured by feature tracking (FT) at baseline and 12 months. This supports a potential cardioprotective role for atorvastatin during anthracycline-based chemotherapy to preserve myocardial deformation.

Juhasz V, Quinaglia T, Drobni ZD et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Evaluating the metabolic effects of neoadjuvant treatment in clear cell renal cell carcinoma using hyperpolarized [1-13 C]pyruvate MRI.

In an exploratory prospective clinical trial, four patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma received neoadjuvant treatment and were imaged with hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MRI to assess early metabolic response using tumor lactate-to-pyruvate ratios. Hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI detected treatment-associated metabolic changes that may precede late anatomic response such as tumor size reduction. This is significant because HP 13C-pyruvate MRI could become a companion biomarker for early neoadjuvant efficacy in RCC.

Horvat-Menih I, McLean MA, Birchall J et al. · Abdominal radiology (New York) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Multimodality imaging in the detection and management of coronary and peripheral arterial disease in patients with cancer receiving cardiotoxic antineoplastic treatments: A clinical consensus statement of the ESC Council of Cardio-Oncology and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the ESC.

This ESC Council of Cardio-Oncology and EACVI consensus statement reviewed how multimodality cardiovascular imaging should be used to detect and manage coronary and peripheral arterial disease in patients receiving cardiotoxic antineoplastic treatments. It emphasizes that imaging indications generally mirror those in the general population but must account for cancer-specific pathophysiology and clinical presentation, with imaging playing a central role in baseline risk assessment and treatment planning. The statement is clinically significant because it standardizes imaging approaches to improve cardiovascular outcomes in cancer patients at risk for CAD and PAD.

Novo G, Lopez-Fernandez T, Delgado V et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

---

Myocarditis/pericarditis diagnostic frameworks and CMR role

Septic cardiomyopathy: Fact or fiction?

This article reviewed septic cardiomyopathy (SCM) as an acute, sepsis-associated myocardial dysfunction and contrasted it with other acute cardiomyopathies such as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and myocarditis. The key finding is that SCM is often reversible within days but remains poorly defined due to the lack of standardized diagnostic criteria and substantial overlap with alternative diagnoses. Scientifically and clinically, clarifying SCM definitions and diagnostic frameworks is important to guide appropriate management and avoid misclassification in septic patients.

Naimi A, Rodriguez M, Qadeer YK et al. · American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

A case report of nonrheumatic myocarditis following group G streptococcus pharyngitis.

This case report studied a 22-year-old man who developed nonrheumatic myocarditis after group G streptococcal pharyngitis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed focal myocardial hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging with corresponding elevated T2 values, supporting myocarditis after bacterial infection. The clinical significance is that post-bacterial (group G streptococcus) myocarditis, though rare, should be considered in patients with chest pain after pharyngitis and evaluated with CMR for diagnosis and risk assessment.

Perkins SJ, Lim JGS, Gans C et al. · Radiology case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Cardiac MRI monitoring in acute myocarditis: predicting outcomes through serial imaging.

This prospective multicenter study assessed serial cardiac MRI in patients with MRI-confirmed acute myocarditis (AM) at baseline (median 6 days after symptom onset), short-term (median 36 days), and long-term (median 392 days) to determine how changes in MRI parameters (including mapping) predict major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 5-year follow-up. The key finding was that longitudinal evolution of cardiac MRI metrics during follow-up had prognostic implications for later MACE risk. This is clinically significant because it supports using repeat cardiac MRI as a risk-stratification tool to guide monitoring and management in acute myocarditis.

Palmisano A, Rancoita PMV, Gatti M et al. · European radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Myocarditis and pericarditis in focus: A critical appraisal of the 2025 ESC vs ACC position statements from the Italian society of cardiology working group on cardiomyopathies and pericardial diseases.

This critical appraisal compared the 2025 ESC and 2024–2025 ACC position statements on myocarditis and pericarditis, focusing on diagnostic and management frameworks in clinical practice. Both statements converge on early, accurate diagnosis with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) often replacing immediate biopsy in stable, uncomplicated acute myocarditis, but they differ in how they structure syndromic classification (ESC’s inflammatory myopericardial syndrome vs ACC’s separate pathways including a four-stage myocarditis classification). The review is clinically significant because it clarifies how guideline differences may affect diagnosis pathways, risk stratification, and treatment decisions for patients with suspected myocarditis/pericarditis.

Imazio M, Collini V, Merlo M et al. · Trends in cardiovascular medicine · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

---

Takotsubo syndrome mechanisms and imaging stratification

CMR Reveals the Influence of Trigger and Classification on the Myocardial Tissue Response in Takotsubo Syndrome.

This study used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to compare left ventricular function, myocardial edema, and myocardial injury across InterTAK trigger-based classification and between primary versus secondary Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) in patients with TTS. CMR demonstrated that myocardial tissue responses differed by trigger/classification and by whether TTS was primary (emotionally primed) versus secondary (driven by direct myocardial injury). These findings support a more mechanistic, imaging-informed stratification of TTS that could refine risk assessment and guide future pathophysiology-targeted therapies.

Gotschy A, Cammann VL, Schweiger V et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

---

Coronary microvascular dysfunction and ANOCA/MINOCA endotypes

Stratified Medicine with Eplerenone for Myocardial Infarction or Injury and No obstructive Coronary Arteries: A Registry-Based Basket Trial.

This registry-based basket trial aimed to stratify treatment for myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) or nonischemic myocardial injury by assessing the prevalence and prognostic role of coronary microvascular dysfunction and then testing endotype-informed therapy with eplerenone. It enrolled patients with suspected MINOCA/nonischemic myocardial injury and implemented a treatment strategy targeting those with coronary microvascular dysfunction using the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist eplerenone. The clinical significance is a potential precision-medicine approach to fill the evidence gap for MINOCA/nonischemic myocardial injury by matching therapy to a mechanistic endotype.

Sykes R, Tan D, McKinley G et al. · American heart journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Variability in Cardiac Stress Test Interpretation: Agreement Between Enrollment Sites and Core Laboratories in the Global ISCHEMIA Trial.

This analysis studied variability in interpretation of myocardial ischemia on cardiac stress testing between enrollment sites and core laboratories within the global ISCHEMIA trial population with chronic coronary disease and moderate-to-severe ischemia. The key finding was that ischemia interpretation differed across sites and core labs, quantifying agreement/variation in how ischemia was classified. This is important for trial validity and for improving consistency of stress-test-based risk stratification in clinical practice.

O’Keefe E, Sperry BW, Jones PG et al. · Circulation. Population health and outcomes · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Stress native mapping does not distinguish patients with previous myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries from healthy volunteers.

The study compared non-contrast adenosine stress native T1 and T2 mapping (plus quantitative perfusion mapping) between patients with previous myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) and normal CMR (n=15) and age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers using 1.5T CMR. The key finding was that stress native mapping did not differentiate MINOCA patients from healthy controls. This indicates that native T1/T2 stress mapping may be insufficient for detecting microvascular/perfusion abnormalities in this specific MINOCA subgroup.

Andersson DF, Johansson RS, Tornvall P et al. · Clinical physiology and functional imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Oxygenation-sensitive cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to identify coronary microvascular and vasomotor dysfunction in angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease.

This prospective single-center study compared oxygenation-sensitive cardiovascular magnetic resonance (OS-CMR) with vasoactive breathing manoeuvres and with the gold-standard invasive coronary function test (ICFT) using intracoronary acetylcholine in patients with angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA), including those with endothelial-dependent coronary microvascular and vasomotor dysfunction (CMVD), plus healthy controls. OS-CMR showed diagnostic performance for identifying endothelial-dependent CMVD relative to ICFT, aiming to provide a non-invasive, needle-free alternative to invasive testing. This is significant because it could enable broader, safer detection of CMVD in ANOCA patients who otherwise require invasive coronary physiology testing.

Hillier E, Palmer C, Lindsay K et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

---

Heart failure therapeutics and adherence strategies

Polypill for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: the POLY-HF randomized trial.

The POLY-HF randomized trial studied whether a once-daily heart failure polypill strategy improves cardiac function in adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (LVEF ≤40%), enrolling a predominantly underserved population at two centers. Participants receiving the polypill containing metoprolol succinate (25/50/100/150 mg), spironolactone 12.5 mg, and empagliflozin 10 mg were compared with patients undergoing rapid uptitration of individual guideline-directed medical therapy medications. The significance is that if effective, polypill-based implementation could improve real-world adherence and outcomes in HFrEF where guideline-directed medical therapy utilization is low.

Pandey A, Keshvani N, Rizvi SK et al. · Nature medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

---

Valvular heart disease (imaging, selection, and transcatheter therapy)

An integrative approach to patient selection for mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair in secondary mitral regurgitation.

This review synthesized evidence and proposed a structured patient-selection framework for mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR), integrating randomized trial data (notably MITRA-FR and COAPT) with multimodality echocardiography and proportionality concepts. It concludes that divergent outcomes between MITRA-FR and COAPT are largely explained by differences in echocardiographic selection and left-ventricular remodeling, implying SMR severity should be interpreted relative to ventricular size and regurgitant context. The scientific significance is improved selection of SMR patients most likely to benefit from M-TEER, potentially reducing futile procedures and optimizing outcomes.

Brusosa M, Flores-Umanzor E, Horlick E · Current opinion in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

One Anatomy, Multiple Valve Choices: Interobserver Agreement in Selecting Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve.

This study evaluated interobserver agreement in selecting transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPVR) device type, size, and position using 3D patient-specific anatomies derived from cardiac magnetic resonance images. The key finding was the quantification of variability among six experienced observers across 60 reconstructed pediatric and adult anatomies when choosing among self-expanding, balloon-expandable, or surgical approaches and corresponding sizing/positioning. The work is significant because it supports more standardized TPVR planning and may guide decision frameworks to reduce procedural variability.

Pérez-Cualtán CE, Cabrales J, Garay F et al. · Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Sex-based differences in mitral and tricuspid valve disease in the era of transcatheter therapies: a contemporary review.

This contemporary review studied sex-based differences in mitral and tricuspid valve disease and how these differences affect epidemiology, pathophysiology, imaging assessment, and management in the era of transcatheter therapies. The key finding is that women and men show distinct patterns of valvular disease presentation and outcomes that matter for diagnostic evaluation and procedural decision-making. Scientifically and clinically, incorporating sex-specific evidence can improve risk assessment and management strategies for transcatheter mitral and tricuspid interventions.

Oletu H, Irivbogbe OA, Akhtar Y · Current problems in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

---

Cardiac amyloidosis risk stratification with CMR

Incremental Prognostic Value of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Beyond Biomarker Staging in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis.

This retrospective multicenter study assessed whether adding cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters to National Amyloidosis Center (NAC) biomarker staging improves prognostication in 266 patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). Incorporating CMR-derived predictors into the NAC stage model provided incremental prognostic value for time to death beyond biomarker staging. This supports using CMR metrics to better risk-stratify ATTR-CA and potentially guide evaluation for advanced heart failure therapies and emerging disease-modifying treatments.

Chiou T, Minga I, Subashchandran V et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Extracellular Volume Mapping by Cardiac MRI Predicts Sudden Cardiac Death in AL Amyloidosis: A South Asian Cohort Study.

This ambispective South Asian cohort study measured extracellular volume (ECV) by cardiac MRI T1 mapping at diagnosis in 188 patients with AL amyloidosis and assessed its association with sudden cardiac death. Evaluable ECV data were available in 22 patients, and abnormal ECV (≥25%) was observed in most evaluable cases, with the study designed to test whether higher ECV predicts sudden cardiac death risk. If confirmed, ECV mapping could become a noninvasive CMR biomarker for identifying AL amyloidosis patients at elevated risk of sudden cardiac death.

Pattnaik SA, Ahamed H, Gutjahr G et al. · Indian journal of hematology & blood transfusion : an official journal of Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

The Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Multi-Chamber Strain Analysis by Cardiac MRI in Amyloidosis.

In 47 retrospective cardiac amyloidosis patients, the study evaluated multi-chamber myocardial strain on cardiac MRI and correlated it with native T1 mapping and Query Amyloid Late Enhancement (QALE), while assessing prognostic value for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Multi-chamber strain parameters showed diagnostic/prognostic utility and were analyzed for correlation with LGE and mapping metrics. Scientifically, this supports strain-based CMR as an integrated marker of amyloid burden and risk stratification beyond single-modality imaging.

Chilkuri SK, Dsouza R, Houbois C et al. · Journal of thoracic imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

---

Cardiac sarcoidosis and endomyocardial biopsy vs imaging

Multidisciplinary approach in cardiac sarcoidosis: to biopsy or not?

This review assessed the contemporary diagnostic role of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) within a multidisciplinary framework, focusing on patients with heterogeneous and patchy myocardial involvement. It highlights that EMB’s historically “gold standard” status is undermined by limited sensitivity, false-negative/inconclusive results, and procedural risks, driving increased reliance on noninvasive imaging. The clinical significance is that modern CS diagnosis may often be achieved without routine tissue confirmation, but the need for EMB should be individualized based on multidisciplinary interpretation and diagnostic uncertainty.

Pericao A, Sharma R · Current opinion in pulmonary medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

FDG PET for cardiac sarcoidosis: Protocol optimization, quantification, pitfalls, and multimodality imaging integration.

This Seminars in Nuclear Medicine review summarizes how FDG PET protocols for cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) should be optimized, how quantification pitfalls can affect interpretation, and how PET findings integrate with echocardiography and cardiac MRI within a multimodality diagnostic framework. It emphasizes PET’s role in diagnosis and management of CS, including practical considerations such as dietary preparation and interpretation pitfalls. The significance is more reliable FDG PET performance and interpretation, improving diagnostic accuracy and clinical decision-making in a heterogeneous disease.

Wopperer SB, Kronzer E, Ivare J et al. · Seminars in nuclear medicine · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗

---

Cardiomyopathy phenotyping and remodeling metrics (HCM/DCM/other)

Cardiac Imaging Predictors of Ventricular Recovery in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Aortic Valve Intervention for Regurgitation.

This retrospective study investigated which preoperative echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters predict postoperative left ventricular (LV) recovery in pediatric and young adult patients (<30 years) undergoing aortic valve surgery for chronic aortic regurgitation (AR). It focused on identifying imaging predictors of LV reverse remodeling after intervention in moderate-to-severe AR, where adult-derived surgical thresholds may not translate well to younger patients. The clinical significance is better risk stratification and timing of aortic valve intervention in children and young adults to maximize LV functional recovery.

Flerlage EK, Huma LC, Gandhi R et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Pathological Q Waves in a Young Patient Without Ischemic Heart Disease.

This JACC Case Reports report describes an 18-year-old asymptomatic man with pathological septal Q waves on ECG but without ischemic heart disease. The case highlights the role of multimodality cardiac imaging—especially cardiac MRI—for tissue characterization, differential diagnosis, and risk stratification when ECG findings are atypical. Clinically, it underscores that pathological Q waves in young patients require advanced imaging to identify non-ischemic causes and guide management.

Figueroa-Galván FS, Alanís-Naranjo JM, González-Najera MF et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in ATTR Val142Ile Carrier: When Genes and Phenotype Diverge.

A 61-year-old African-American man with longstanding apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM) was found to carry the pathogenic transthyretin (TTR) variant Val142Ile (V142I). Despite genotype positivity, technetium-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy (H/CL 1.01, visual grade 0) argued against ATTR cardiac amyloidosis, and cardiac MRI confirmed apical-predominant hypertrophy with patchy late gadolinium enhancement. The significance is that gene-positive patients can have phenocopies, so combined TTR genotyping with PYP scintigraphy and CMR is critical to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate ATTR-CM management.

Khayat O, Moumneh MB, Salman O et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Assessment of left atrioventricular coupling index in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: improving risk stratification with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

In a retrospective cohort of 2,240 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients, the study assessed the prognostic value of the left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI; left atrial end-diastolic volume divided by left ventricular end-diastolic volume) derived from CMR for sudden cardiac death (SCD) and tested incremental value beyond guideline-based risk models. LACI was evaluated alongside CMR features including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using Cox regression to determine its association with SCD events. The clinical significance is improved SCD risk stratification in HCM by adding a CMR-derived atrial–ventricular coupling metric to existing models.

Zhang D, Qian Y, Gu Z et al. · Clinical radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Filamin C Genetic Cardiomyopathy Presenting as Acute Myocardial Injury.

This case report describes a 46-year-old man with acute myocardial injury showing a nonischemic pattern on imaging, including extensive ring-like subepicardial late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac MRI without myocardial edema. Genetic testing identified a pathogenic FLNC (filamin C) variant, and follow-up imaging after 4 months showed persistent fibrosis with preserved ventricular function and no arrhythmias. The significance is that FLNC-related genetic cardiomyopathy can present with acute troponin elevation and distinctive ring-like LGE, supporting the use of CMR and genetic testing in nonischemic myocardial injury.

Alexandrino FB, Curtis B, Nguyen C et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Discordant Cardiomyopathy Phenotypes in Siblings With Homozygous FKRP c.1100T>C.

This report describes two South African Afrikaner siblings who were homozygous for the FKRP c.1100T>C (p.Ile367Thr) variant and had discordant cardiac phenotypes. The brother developed progressive cardiomyopathy with fibrosis on late gadolinium enhancement across many AHA segments over years, illustrating variable cardiac expression despite the same homozygous genotype. Scientifically and clinically, it highlights genotype–phenotype divergence in FKRP-related limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R9 and supports individualized cardiac surveillance and imaging.

Mahon N, Coad S, Kiamanesh O · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Analysis of cardiac magnetic resonance characteristics in patients with ejection fraction preserved heart failure.

In 117 HFpEF patients, 65 healthy controls, and 62 high-risk individuals, the study used cardiac MRI to quantify epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and relate it to left ventricular function and prognosis, with follow-up in a larger cohort (n=228). EAT volume and left ventricular strain were measured and assessed for association with outcomes including heart failure readmission or all-cause death. Clinically, the work supports CMR-based EAT and strain phenotyping as potential prognostic tools in HFpEF.

Zhang Y, Li Y, Yang X et al. · Clinical radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Cardiac magnetic resonance-derived atrioventricular coupling index for predicting left ventricular reverse remodeling in dilated cardiomyopathy.

In 64 hospitalized dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients treated with standardized guideline-directed therapy, the study evaluated whether a CMR-derived left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) predicts left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) over one year. Patients were stratified into LVRR vs non-LVRR groups using echocardiographic criteria, and multivariable models tested incremental predictive value using LACI compared with models incorporating left atrial strain or left ventricular strain. The significance is that CMR-derived atrial–ventricular coupling may help identify DCM patients most likely to experience reverse remodeling under medical therapy.

Ke J, Zhang C, Wang X et al. · Clinical radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Improved Myocardial Sodium Quantification at 7 T Using Interleaved 23Na/1H pTx MRI With Motion and Anatomy-Based B1 Correction.

This study evaluated a dual-nuclear interleaved 23Na/1H cardiac MRI approach at 7 T in human subjects to improve myocardial 23Na quantification accuracy and repeatability using retrospective respiratory/cardiac motion correction and a novel anatomy-based B1 bias field correction. The key finding was that 1H-derived nnUNet segmentation plus 1H navigator-based motion correction enabled estimation of transmit/receive B1 bias for 23Na using synthetic 23Na images, improving myocardial sodium quantification robustness at 7 T. This advances noninvasive myocardial sodium mapping by addressing motion and B1 inhomogeneity—two major sources of error for 23Na MRI at ultra-high field—supporting more reliable assessment of myocardial metabolism in clinical research.

Ruck L, Egger N, Zobler B et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Left atrioventricular coupling index and atrial fibrillation and stroke in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a CMR study.

This retrospective CMR study analyzed 287 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) without the outcome at baseline to test whether the left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) predicts new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) and thromboembolic events (transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke). Higher LACI was associated with increased risk of AF and ischemic events in HCM, indicating that integrating left atrial size with left ventricular filling properties captures atrial remodeling relevant to thrombogenicity. These results are scientifically and clinically important because LACI may improve AF/stroke risk prediction beyond existing HCM models that perform poorly.

De Raffele M, Casas G, Delgado V et al. · Revista espanola de cardiologia (English ed.) · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗

---

Arrhythmia risk, ablation targeting, and electrophysiology imaging

Revisiting the Link Between Substrate and Ventricular Tachycardia Rate: The Critical Role of Conduction Isthmus Structure and Function.

This prospective cohort study evaluated whether local conduction-isthmus structure and function better predicts ventricular tachycardia (VT) rate than global scar-substrate metrics in 62 patients undergoing ablation for scar-related VT. Using high-density electroanatomical mapping and late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance, it compared global versus isthmus-specific substrate features (including activation time and deceleration zone metrics) for their association with VT rate. The scientific significance is improved mechanistic prediction of VT dynamics that could refine risk stratification and ablation targeting by focusing on conduction isthmus properties.

Guichard JB, Castrillo-Golvano L, Molero-Pereira S et al. · Heart rhythm · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Treatment of Premature Ventricular Contractions: A Review of Medical Therapy, Catheter Ablation, and Emerging Treatments.

This review summarized medical therapy, catheter ablation, and emerging treatments for premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), emphasizing how clinical significance depends on symptom burden, PVC frequency, ventricular function, and underlying myocardial disease. It outlines diagnostic evaluation using electrocardiography, ambulatory rhythm monitoring, echocardiography, exercise testing, and cardiac magnetic resonance for tissue characterization. The significance is a practical framework for selecting treatment strategies to prevent PVC-induced cardiomyopathy and reduce risk in patients with structural heart disease or high-risk features.

Elattar S, Hodhod A, Basha NR et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

A Case of Brugada Syndrome… or Something Else? Behind Type 1 Brugada Pattern.

This case report evaluated a 51-year-old man with syncope during a febrile illness who had a transient spontaneous type-1 Brugada ECG pattern. Holter monitoring revealed multifocal ventricular ectopy including non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT), prompting consideration that the presentation might reflect an alternative diagnosis beyond classic Brugada syndrome. The clinical significance is that overt arrhythmogenic substrate or myocardial disease should trigger re-evaluation of Brugada-like ECG patterns to avoid misdiagnosis.

Scarà A, Borrelli A, Romano S et al. · Clinical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Malignant Mitral Valve Prolapse With Life-Threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias: A Multidisciplinary Team-Guided Stepwise Management.

This multidisciplinary case report studied a 45-year-old woman with bileaflet myxomatous mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and mitral annular disjunction who developed near-syncope, frequent polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, recurrent ventricular fibrillation, and multiple ICD shocks despite medical therapy. The report emphasizes that malignant arrhythmogenic MVP can occur even without severe mitral regurgitation and without detectable myocardial fibrosis on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, using combined electrical and mechanical risk markers to identify imminent sudden cardiac risk. Scientifically and clinically, it supports stepwise risk stratification for arrhythmogenic MVP beyond fibrosis presence and beyond MR severity.

Javadi N, Jahangir A, Galazka P et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

---

Congenital heart disease and fetal/perinatal cardiac imaging

Fetal MRI for cardiopulmonary anomalies: what the pediatric cardiologist and surgeon need to know.

This narrative review studied how fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can be integrated with expert fetal echocardiography for prenatal evaluation of complex cardiopulmonary anomalies. It found that fetal CMR provides high-resolution, multiplanar imaging with superior soft-tissue contrast and a wide field of view, enabling diagnostic or prognostic information when echocardiography is limited by technical/physiologic factors. The significance is an evidence-based framework to guide when fetal CMR should inform counseling, delivery planning, and postnatal management.

Dadoun SE, Mokha S, Kooraki S et al. · Current opinion in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Role of predelivery fetal echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and acute maternal hyperoxygenation in predicting urgency of neonatal balloon atrial septostomy in fetal dextro-transposition of the great arteries.

This prospective single-center cohort study investigated whether predelivery fetal echocardiography and cardiac MRI performed in room air and during acute maternal hyperoxygenation (AMH) could predict neonatal hypoxia and the need for urgent balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) within 3 hours after birth in fetuses with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (TGA) with intact ventricular septum or small VSD (≤4 mm). The key finding was that specific fetal imaging features obtained before delivery under these physiologic conditions were used to identify infants at imminent risk for severe hypoxia requiring urgent BAS. This is significant because it could enable earlier, imaging-guided delivery planning and immediate postnatal intervention to reduce hypoxic complications in TGA.

Jaeggi E, Sun L, Saito M et al. · Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings in congenital cardiovascular anomalies.

This article reviewed computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings relevant to congenital cardiovascular anomalies across the growing population of children and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). It highlights that while echocardiography remains key for noninvasive assessment, cardiac MRI (CMR) and cardiac CT/CT angiography increasingly complement echocardiography—especially when postoperative echocardiography is limited. The review is clinically important because it guides modality selection and interpretation for comprehensive CHD evaluation as survival improves.

Koplay M, Seher N · Diagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

---

Advanced cardiac imaging physics, reconstruction, and AI automation

A Comparison of Tissue Property Values Estimated Using Conventional Cardiac MRF and MT-Cardiac MRF.

This work evaluated how explicitly modeling magnetization transfer (MT) during reconstruction of cardiac magnetic resonance fingerprinting (cMRF) affects T1 and T2 quantification in simulations, phantom experiments, and 14 healthy subjects. Compared with conventional cMRF dictionaries that ignore MT, an MT-cMRF dictionary improved estimation of free-water pool T1f/T2f and bound pool fraction (BPF) when MT processes were present. Accurate MT-aware cMRF tissue property mapping may improve the reliability of cardiac T1/T2 biomarkers for clinical tissue characterization.

Kaplan S, Liu Z, Hamilton J et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

The importance of spatial resolution in detecting chronic myocardial iron remnants following hemorrhagic myocardial infarction with T2* MRI.

This study investigated how spatial resolution affects detection of chronic myocardial iron remnants after hemorrhagic myocardial infarction (hMI) using T2* cardiac MRI, combining digital phantom simulations and ex vivo swine hearts (n=10) with 8-week hMI. Detection performance for iron deposits varied with voxel size and slice thickness across multiple signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels, demonstrating that resolution materially influences sensitivity. These results provide practical imaging guidance for optimizing T2* MRI protocols to reliably identify chronic iron from hMI.

Zhang X, Yang HJ, Dharmakumar R · Biomedical physics & engineering express · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Computational modeling of left ventricular flow using PC-CMR-derived four-dimensional wall motion.

The study developed individualized left-ventricular (LV) computational fluid dynamics models by integrating two MRI modalities of four-dimensional wall motion to drive moving-wall simulations of LV blood flow in a personalized setting. The key finding is that imaging-driven, coupled LV flow modeling is feasible for personalized characterization of intracardiac hemodynamics without requiring fully coupled fluid–solid modeling of the active/passive myocardium. This approach could improve scientific understanding and clinical risk stratification of LV hemodynamics by enabling patient-specific CFD derived from PC-CMR and 4D wall motion.

Peighambari SB, Mukherjee T, Mendiola EA et al. · International journal of engineering science · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

In vivo evidence of blood flow slippage: failure of the no-slip boundary condition assumption.

Seven healthy adult volunteers underwent 4D flow CMR of the descending thoracic aorta, and near-wall blood velocities and wall shear stress were quantified using Navier–Stokes modeling with a data assimilation framework. The key finding was in vivo evidence of “blood flow slippage,” with tangential wall velocities estimated at approximately 30–80% of the values implied by the no-slip boundary condition assumption. Scientifically, this challenges the no-slip premise used in many cardiovascular CFD models and may improve the accuracy of patient-specific hemodynamic simulations.

Jarolímová A, Hron J, Tůma K et al. · American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Sustainable Low-Field Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Changing Healthcare Systems-An Update.

This narrative update summarized advances enabling sustainable low-field cardiovascular magnetic resonance (LF-CMR), particularly around 0.55 Tesla, for cardiac structure, function, and tissue characterization in changing healthcare systems. The key finding is that optimized low-field hardware (e.g., gradients and RF systems) and AI-driven reconstruction can maintain strong diagnostic performance despite lower signal-to-noise ratios. Scientifically and operationally, it supports broader adoption of CMR in low- and middle-income countries by reducing cost and infrastructure barriers.

Umair M, Marey A, Murali S et al. · NMR in biomedicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Diagnosis of cardiac pathology on acute electrocardiographic-gated thoracic computed tomography: guidance for the general radiologist.

This article discusses how electrocardiographic-gated thoracic computed tomography angiography datasets can be used by general radiologists to detect acute cardiac pathology in patients evaluated for acute aortic syndrome. It emphasizes that life-threatening cardiac findings (e.g., coronary atheromatous disease and related consequences) can be overlooked or misinterpreted despite being within required core radiology competencies. The clinical significance is improved diagnostic accuracy and reduced avoidable error by providing practical guidance for interpreting cardiac pathology on acute ECG-gated CT.

Manghat NE, Greco F, Harries I et al. · Clinical radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Simultaneous multi-slice Cardiac Diffusion Tensor Imaging with variable CAIPIRINHA shifts and artefact-aware AI.

The study developed ORCAS, a unified framework combining variable CAIPIRINHA simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) acquisition with artefact-aware AI reconstruction for cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) to reduce the need for multiple repetitions. ORCAS uses variable CAIPIRINHA shifts to decohere SMS inter-slice leakage artefacts across repetitions and improve reconstruction quality despite reduced repetition counts. This advances in-vivo myocardial microstructure imaging by enabling faster cDTI acquisitions with better signal quality and fewer SMS artefacts, potentially improving feasibility for clinical cardiac assessment.

Tänzer M, Lim EJ, Qiu HH et al. · Medical image analysis · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Evaluation of new vectorcardiography algorithms for identifying left ventricular hypertrophy and impaired systolic function.

This prospective study evaluated new vectorcardiography (VCG) algorithms for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and impaired systolic function, using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging as the reference standard. The key finding was that VCG provided diagnostic performance for LVH and systolic impairment that could serve as a rapid, scalable alternative to conventional electrocardiography for early or subtle structural abnormalities. This supports VCG algorithm development as a potential screening tool for structural heart disease when CMR is impractical.

Salatzki J, Schwarz AK, Wolfsteller S et al. · Journal of electrocardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Optimizing Cine Cardiac MRI: Technical Advances and Clinical Applications.

This review studied technical advances to optimize cine cardiac MRI, focusing on pulse sequence parameter tuning (TR, TE, flip angle, and bandwidth) to improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and temporal resolution. It highlights that while bSSFP is standard, performance is limited by off-resonance effects, SAR constraints, and susceptibility artifacts—especially at ≥3T—prompting alternative strategies when breath-holding or arrhythmia-free acquisition is not feasible. The significance is improved cine cardiac MRI robustness and image quality, enabling more reliable clinical assessment of cardiac function across challenging patient and scanner conditions.

Dehghani S, Rajabi A, Rahmati A et al. · Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Enhanced 2D Spiral Cine DENSE MRI Using Low-Rank Denoising for Improved Apparent Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Spatial Resolution, Efficiency, Accuracy, and Accessibility.

This work developed and tested a low-rank denoising method for 2D spiral cine displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) MRI at low field (0.55 T) using multidimensional spiral cine DENSE data and Monte Carlo–based empirical noise estimation in 36 human subjects (16 healthy, 20 with heart disease) plus additional high-resolution acquisitions in 10 healthy volunteers. The key finding was that low-rank denoising improved apparent signal-to-noise ratio, spatial resolution, efficiency, and accuracy compared with standard approaches while enabling DENSE at 0.55 T. Clinically, this increases accessibility of DENSE-based myocardial displacement/strain quantification and improves image quality for cardiac motion assessment in both healthy and diseased populations.

Shih SF, Wu Y, Li S et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Feasibility of Implicit Neural Representation Learned Motion Compensation for 3D Stack-of-Spirals Free-Breathing Cardiac Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping.

This study evaluated a free-breathing cardiac quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) method using spiral sampling combined with implicit neural representation (INR) learned motion compensation for 3D stack-of-spirals acquisitions. The key finding was that INR-based motion compensation improved robustness and feasibility of QSM in a navigator-free/free-breathing setting, enabling noninvasive estimation of right–left heart oxygenation difference (ΔSO2) without the long acquisition times of prospective navigator-gated 3D cartesian QSM. Scientifically and clinically, this supports more practical ΔSO2 assessment as a noninvasive alternative to invasive right-heart catheterization for evaluating cardiovascular function.

Li J, Deng A, Li C et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Bright Ferritin for Non-Invasive MRI Monitoring of the Fate of Transplanted hPSC-Cardiomyocytes in the Infarcted Rat Heart.

This study tested whether bright ferritin MRI can noninvasively track transplanted human pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) in vivo in rat hearts over 8 weeks, including both healthy and infarcted models. The key finding was that ferritin-overexpressing hPSC-CMs produced a bright ferritin MRI signal that enabled longitudinal and on-demand recall of graft fate using MnCl2 supplementation. This is significant for regenerative cardiology because it provides a noninvasive imaging platform to monitor cell survival and persistence after cardiac transplantation.

Zhuang K, Alibhai FJ, Qiang B et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

FlowVN Trained on a Single Dataset Enables Rapid Reconstruction of Highly Accelerated 4D Flow MRI Across Multiple Sites.

This study evaluated FlowVN, a deep variational network trained on fully sampled 4D flow MRI from a single site, for rapid reconstruction of heavily undersampled 4D flow MRI across multiple sites. The key finding was that FlowVN generalized to retrospective and prospective undersampled data from a second site and to patients with aortic stenosis, achieving accurate velocity/flow metrics with low reconstruction errors across acceleration factors (R values spanning ~6–22 and ~12–14). This is clinically significant because it enables faster, multi-site 4D flow MRI acquisition and reconstruction for quantifying hemodynamics and potentially turbulence-related metrics without requiring site-specific retraining.

Qazi SA, Bianchessi T, Viola F et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Reproducibility of cardiac volumetric parameters derived from fully automatically prescribed image planes: a direct comparison to manual planning at 1.5-T and 3-T MRI.

This prospective single-center study in 52 healthy volunteers compared fully automated versus manual cardiac MRI (CMR) image-plane prescription for reproducibility of cardiac volumetric parameters at 1.5 T and 3 T. Automated planning produced volumetric measurements with reproducibility comparable to manual planning across the two field strengths, supporting consistent plane placement for CMR volumetry. These findings support wider clinical adoption of automated CMR planning to reduce time and human error while maintaining reliable cardiac volume assessment.

Deyerberg KK, Meinel FG, Watzke LM et al. · European radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Clinical Evaluation of A-LIKNet: Deep Learning-accelerated Single-breath-hold CINE Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Cardiac Function Assessment.

This single-center study evaluated A-LIKNet, a deep learning–accelerated 2D cardiac cine CMR reconstruction, comparing single-breath-hold acquisitions against standard multi-breath-hold cine sequences in 42 subjects. At acceleration factors of 8×, 16×, and 24×, A-LIKNet provided diagnostic accuracy and quantitative agreement for biventricular volumes and function (including LV/RV EDV and ESV) comparable to standard imaging. The results are significant because DL acceleration can reduce scan time and breath-hold burden while preserving quantitative cardiac function assessment.

Kübler J, Chekan S, Xu S et al. · Investigative radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

---

Machine learning and EHR/registry prediction models

Strategies for resilient climate in smart cities mediated by Nash equilibrium and autonomous decision-makers.

This paper developed a decision-making framework for resilient climate in smart cities by integrating Nash equilibrium, autonomous multi-agent systems, and machine learning to model city-level policy choices under global warming pressures. It treats each city as an autonomous agent that selects pollution and climate-risk management policies, with outcomes shaped by the equilibrium and learning-based decision process. The significance is a computational approach to tailor greenhouse-gas mitigation strategies to individual city needs rather than using one-size-fits-all policies.

Latha CM, Alvarado-Mentado M · Journal of environmental management · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Prediction of hypertension and restenosis under guideline-directed management in aortic coarctation: development and validation of machine-learning models.

This development-and-validation study used routinely collected electronic health records plus cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and follow-up data to build machine-learning models predicting hypertension and restenosis in 160 individuals with aortic coarctation under guideline-directed management. The key finding was that ML models (e.g., CatBoost, XGBoost, random forest, support vector classifiers, neural networks) were developed and validated to forecast long-term outcomes such as hypertension and restenosis after CoA care. Clinically, such models could improve risk stratification and surveillance planning for patients with CoA who remain at substantial risk of recurrence.

Fierley L, Versnjak J, Gabel G et al. · EClinicalMedicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Leveraging natural language processing artificial intelligence for automated data extraction of ejection fraction and strain from cardiovascular imaging reports.

This retrospective observational study applied natural language processing (NLP) to multi-modality cardiovascular imaging reports to automatically extract ejection fraction (EF) and related strain parameters in more than 4000 cancer survivors across echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and cardiac MRI from 2000–2020. The key finding was that NLP-based automated extraction of EF and related cardiac imaging measurements is feasible across modalities over a long time span. This supports scalable, EHR-based phenotyping for cardio-oncology research and longitudinal outcome studies.

Brown SA, BagheriMohamadiPour M, Sparapani R et al. · American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Polygenic Risk Identifies Older Adults Who May Benefit From Aspirin for the Primary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke.

This post hoc analysis studied whether an integrative polygenic score (iPGS) can identify older adults who may benefit from daily 100-mg aspirin for primary prevention of ischemic stroke. Using 12,031 genotyped participants from the ASPREE randomized trial (European ancestry, age >70, no prior cardiovascular disease), the iPGS was derived from >1.2 million variants and evaluated to stratify net benefit by genetic risk. The scientific significance is that polygenic risk stratification could potentially refine aspirin use in older adults by targeting those most likely to gain benefit while avoiding excess bleeding risk in others.

Yu C, Hussain SM, Fransquet PD et al. · Stroke · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗

FedSemiDG: Domain generalized federated semi-supervised medical image segmentation.

This paper studied domain shift in federated semi-supervised medical image segmentation and proposed domain generalized federated semi-supervised learning (FedSemiDG) to improve aggregation and unlabeled-data utilization across domains. The key finding is that explicitly addressing domain generalization in federated semi-supervised learning can mitigate suboptimal model aggregation and improve performance on unseen domains. Scientifically, FedSemiDG targets a major limitation of federated learning in medical imaging where training centers differ in image characteristics and label availability.

Deng Z, Xu Z, Isshiki T et al. · Medical image analysis · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Large Language Models for Cardiac MRI Diagnosis Based on Standardized Text Descriptions.

This retrospective study evaluated large language models (LLMs) for cardiac MRI diagnosis using standardized text descriptions across a cohort including 203 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 186 dilated cardiomyopathy, 46 hypertensive heart disease, 198 ischemic cardiomyopathy, 38 constrictive pericarditis, 45 cardiac amyloidosis, 91 myocarditis, and 144 normal controls. The key finding is that LLM-based interpretation of standardized cardiac MRI text descriptions can support diagnostic classification across multiple cardiac conditions. Clinically, this approach could help less-experienced centers by translating structured imaging descriptions into more reliable diagnostic outputs.

Zhang H, Zhou J, Zhang C et al. · Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

---

Systemic disease links to cardiovascular outcomes (renal, HIV, autoimmune, infection, supplements)

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of the Arabic version of the University of Wisconsin running injury and recovery index: a reliability and validity study.

This study translated, cross-culturally adapted, and psychometrically evaluated the University of Wisconsin Running Injury and Recovery Index (UWRI) into Arabic (UWRI-Ar) in Arabic-speaking runners aged 18–45 years with running-related injury (RRI). In a cross-sectional reliability/validity design with test-retest after 2–5 days (n=83; retest n=49), the UWRI-Ar demonstrated acceptable measurement properties and reliability/validity for this population. The clinical significance is that Arabic-speaking clinicians and researchers can use a validated UWRI-Ar to assess running injury status and recovery consistently.

Aljohani MMA, Alshehri YS, Shuwayhi AM et al. · BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

A Global Consensus Conference on Surgical Management of Primary Uterovaginal Prolapse and Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction: Combining Evidence with Expert Opinion.

This global consensus conference synthesized evidence and expert opinion to define best practices for primary surgical management of uterovaginal pelvic organ prolapse (U-POP) and associated lower urinary tract dysfunction. Using committee-based questions with systematic searches of MEDLINE, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov (2000–Dec 2025), it aimed to clarify controversial aspects, identify unanswered research questions, and guide junior researchers in systematic review/meta-analysis methods. The clinical significance is standardized, evidence-informed surgical decision-making for U-POP while highlighting gaps for future trials.

Gupta A, Grimes CL, Badlani G et al. · International urogynecology journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

A case of cardiac lymphangioma: diagnosis suggested by cardiac CT and MRI and successful conservative management.

This case report studied a 78-year-old woman diagnosed with cardiac lymphangioma using multimodality cardiac imaging (cardiac CT and cardiac MRI). Cardiac CT showed a lobulated, non-enhancing mass along the right coronary artery and cardiac MRI demonstrated a multilocular cystic lesion with high T2 signal consistent with lymphangioma, enabling successful conservative management. The report highlights how CT/CMR imaging can support diagnosis and guide non-surgical treatment for this exceptionally rare benign cardiac tumor.

Kurosaka E, Matsuda J, Yanagiya N et al. · Journal of cardiology cases · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Use of advanced cardiovascular imaging in rheumatic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

This retrospective, multi-centre quality improvement study evaluated real-world use of advanced cardiovascular imaging (CMR, CT coronary angiography, and PET) in adults with less common/rare rheumatic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) across four UK hospitals. The key finding was substantial variation in imaging practice by underlying IMID and imaging modality among patients undergoing these advanced tests. The study is significant because it identifies gaps in current care pathways and can inform future guidelines and research on cardiovascular risk assessment in rare rheumatic IMIDs.

Gumber L, Meghji MA, Kakkar V et al. · Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Myocardial Calcification as a Rare Cardiac Sequela: When Sepsis Leaves Its Mark.

This JACC Case Reports article studied a 33-year-old woman who developed myocardial calcification after severe sepsis from disseminated Streptococcus pneumoniae. The key finding was that repeat chest CT four weeks later showed extensive left ventricular and papillary muscle calcifications despite normal coronary angiography after marked troponin elevation during septic shock. The case is significant because it documents a rare sepsis-related cardiac sequela and underscores the need to consider structural myocardial injury when troponin rises without coronary obstruction.

El-Hamad A, Sene PM, El Mehdi El Yamani M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging assessment of Del Nido versus cold blood cardioplegia in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing combined coronary artery bypass graft and mitral valve replacement: Early outcomes.

This prospective single-center study compared Del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) versus conventional cold blood cardioplegia (CBC) in 42 patients with low ejection fraction (LVEF <45%) undergoing concomitant CABG and mitral valve replacement, using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess early myocardial functional recovery. The key finding was the early comparative effect of the two cardioplegia strategies on myocardial functional recovery as measured by CMR. Clinically, the results inform myocardial protection choices during combined CABG/MVR in patients with reduced LVEF.

Gode S, Polat M, Eroğlu Polat A et al. · Turk gogus kalp damar cerrahisi dergisi · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Atypical Case of Takayasu Aortitis Presenting as Embolic Stroke With Concomitant Massive Thoracic Artery Aneurysm.

This case report described a 44-year-old woman with hypertension who presented with embolic stroke and was found to have a massive thoracic aortic aneurysm in the setting of atypical Takayasu aortitis. She underwent open surgical repair with Dacron graft placement, and pathology showed granulomatous inflammation consistent with an autoimmune or infectious etiology. The report highlights that Takayasu aortitis can present atypically with embolic neurologic events and large thoracic aneurysms, requiring prompt surgical and diagnostic evaluation.

Henson JC, Myers JH, Cummins M et al. · Clinical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Of HIV-Positive Plasmablastic Lymphoma - Case Series.

This case series evaluated autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as consolidation in HIV-positive patients with plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) at first complete response (CR1) in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The report focused on safety and efficacy outcomes of ASCT in this previously high-risk population where intensive therapy was historically limited by opportunistic infection concerns. The clinical significance is that ASCT may be feasible in selected HIV-positive PBL patients with effective antiretroviral control, supporting broader consideration of curative-intent strategies.

Giri Raja Pandiyan VM, Perumal Kalaiyarasi J, Govindarajan DD et al. · Indian journal of hematology & blood transfusion : an official journal of Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

A 12-week Exercise Intervention Among Older Adults With Chronic Coronary Syndrome: Changes and Associations of Movement Behaviors and Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

In 35 older adults with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), a 12-week group exercise intervention assessed changes in movement behaviors (via 7-day accelerometry), obesity markers, VO2peak, cardiometabolic risk, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from baseline to 9 months. The key finding was that exercise-related changes in movement behaviors were associated with changes in VO2peak, cardiometabolic risk, and BDNF over follow-up. Clinically, this supports using objective movement-behavior metrics to monitor and potentially optimize exercise prescriptions to improve cardiometabolic and neurotrophic outcomes in CCS.

Ullrich A, Bahls M, Voigt L et al. · European journal of sport science · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Cardiac MRI Identifies Subclinical Myocardial Tissue Abnormalities in Individuals With Hepatitis C Regardless of Myocardial Damage Markers or Fibrosis Stage.

The study used 3T cardiac MRI to measure myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) fraction in 10 untreated individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and compared results with age-matched healthy volunteers. The key finding was that HCV-infected participants had significantly higher ECV fraction (0.30±0.03 vs 0.26±0.03, p=0.0036) regardless of myocardial damage markers, hypertension, smoking pack-years, or fibrosis stage. This suggests early extrahepatic myocardial tissue abnormalities can occur before liver fibrosis, supporting early HCV treatment to reduce downstream cardiovascular risk.

D’Amore A, Sirajuddin A, George N et al. · Journal of viral hepatitis · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

CTLA4-Ig + Anti-IL-6/IL-6R Treatment Results in Long-term Allograft Survival and Function in Highly HLA-sensitized Patients.

In highly HLA-sensitized transplant recipients, the study evaluated long-term outcomes after combining CTLA4-Ig with anti–IL-6/IL-6R therapy as an immunosuppressive strategy to mitigate rejection risk. The key finding was that this combined regimen resulted in sustained allograft survival and preserved allograft function in these highly HLA-sensitized patients. Clinically, it offers a potential CNI-sparing option for patients at high risk of donor-specific antibody rebound and rejection.

Jordan SC, Chandran S, Ammerman N et al. · Transplantation direct · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Mortality Risk Among U.S. Veterans Receiving Dialysis With Diabetes.

Using linked national datasets (Veterans Affairs, U.S. Renal Data System, and Medicare), the study examined whether continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use versus non-CGM use was associated with mortality among U.S. veterans receiving dialysis who also had diabetes. The key finding was that CGM use was associated with a difference in survival compared with non-CGM use in this dialysis population. Clinically, it suggests CGM may be a prognostically relevant tool for dysglycemia management in patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Narasaki Y, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Zisman-Ilani Y et al. · Diabetes care · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Imaging of Myocardial Carcinoid Metastasis.

This case series studied two patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) presenting with isolated cardiac metastases, using Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET/CT and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with comparison to transthoracic echocardiography. Cardiac metastases were initially detected on Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET/CT and further characterized by CMR, while echocardiography had limited ability to identify myocardial involvement. The findings highlight multimodality imaging—especially DOTATATE PET/CT plus CMR—for recognizing and characterizing myocardial metastases from NETs that may be clinically silent.

Ranganath S, Ynalvez L, Ryoo Ali HJ et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Unexplained Supraventricular Tachycardia and Myocardial Injury After Bitter Orange Supplement Use in a Young Woman.

This case report studied a 38-year-old woman who developed unexplained supraventricular tachycardia and myocardial injury after using a bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) weight-loss supplement containing p-synephrine. The arrhythmia was terminated with 6 mg intravenous adenosine, while high-sensitivity troponin I rose markedly from 17.9 to 1,395.7 ng/L, indicating acute myocardial injury. Clinically, it supports a causal link between sympathomimetic bitter orange/p-synephrine supplements and serious cardiac events, underscoring the need for medication/supplement history in acute tachyarrhythmia and troponin elevation.

Plaitis A, Grigoraki E, Karakosta M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Intentional self-harm mortality among 15-24 year olds in Asian American subgroups, 2005-2022: a population-based incidence study.

This population-based incidence study examined intentional self-harm mortality among U.S. Asian American youth aged 15–24 years from 2005–2022, disaggregated into six subgroups (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese) using National Center for Health Statistics mortality data linked to American Community Survey denominators. The key finding was that suicide mortality rates differed across Asian American subgroups, with subgroup-specific annualized mortality rates and rate ratios compared against non-Hispanic White and Asian youth. The clinical/public-health significance is improved surveillance granularity to identify which Asian American youth subgroups have higher suicide mortality and may need targeted prevention efforts.

Uy LA, Chang E, Desai S et al. · Lancet regional health. Americas · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Interpersonal Relationship, Academic Performance, & Life Skills: A Comparative Study of Children With and Without Emotional and Behavioral Problems.

This cross-sectional study compared 120 children aged 6–14 years from West Bengal with and without emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), Child Interpersonal Relationships and Attitudes Assessment (CIRAA), Academic Performance Scale (APS), and Life Skills Assessment Scale (LSAS). Children with EBPs had significantly worse interpersonal relationship scores (p=0.015) and lower life skills scores than children without EBPs. These findings support screening for EBPs as a way to identify children at risk for impaired social functioning and life skills that may also affect academic outcomes.

Kheto P, Pallerla S, Bhattacharjee K et al. · Clinical child psychology and psychiatry · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

A Stepwise Multimodality Imaging Approach to Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Cystic Fibrosis.

This case report studied a 25-year-old man with cystic fibrosis who developed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation during a pulmonary exacerbation complicated by hemoptysis and hypoxemia. The key finding was that a stepwise multimodality evaluation (ECG, high-sensitivity troponin, transthoracic echocardiography, and subsequent imaging described in the report) supported a non–ST-elevation diagnostic pathway for the arrest etiology. The clinical significance is that structured multimodality imaging can improve diagnostic reasoning in young OHCA patients with low pretest probability of atherosclerotic disease.

Frittella S, Iuvara G, Angeli F et al. · The American journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

Incremental Prognostic Value of Pericardial Adipose Tissue Radiomic Phenotype Based on Cardiac MRI in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease.

This retrospective, multicenter study evaluated whether pericardial adipose tissue (PEAT) radiomic features from cardiac MRI predict major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in 248 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, using development (n=198) and validation (n=50) cohorts. The key finding is that PEAT radiomic phenotypes add incremental prognostic value for MACE beyond conventional PEAT volume associations. Clinically, PEAT radiomics could improve risk stratification for cardiovascular events in ESRD patients where prognosis is high risk and imaging biomarkers are needed.

Zhang TY, Liu Y, Chen SZ et al. · Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗

Detection of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Diabetic Mice Using Arterial Spin Labeling Cardiac MRI: A Multimodality Imaging Comparison.

This prospective animal study compared arterial spin labeling cardiac MRI (ASL-MRI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for detecting coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) in type 1 and type 2 diabetic mouse models, including early-stage T2DM at 8 weeks (8w-T2DM). The key finding is that ASL-MRI and TTE provide different CMD sensitivity/functional indices that can be related to histological microvascular and myocardial remodeling across control, T1DM, T2DM, and early T2DM groups. This supports ASL-MRI as a noninvasive imaging option for CMD characterization in diabetes research and helps determine which modality best reflects underlying pathology.

Miao Q, Shi Y, Li B et al. · Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗

Comparing contact dermatitis due to tissue adhesives in port-site closure.

This randomized controlled intra-patient trial compared contact dermatitis rates from two tissue adhesives—Dermabond™ (Ethicon; DB) versus LiquiBand® (Advanced Medical Solutions; LB)—in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery. The study directly tested whether one adhesive had a higher risk of skin hypersensitivity/dermatitis at port-site closure. The findings are clinically important because they provide comparative evidence to guide adhesive choice and potentially reduce postoperative dermatologic complications.

Holihan JL, Wrather AG, Lancaster C et al. · Surgical endoscopy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗

---

---

Generated automatically on July 03, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published June 26, 2026 – July 03, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.