What's New in Cardiac MRI? — July 14, 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?
July 14, 2026 · 56 articles · 15 research themes · covering July 07, 2026 – July 14, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set of papers, a dominant thread is the move from single-marker thinking toward integrated, mechanism-aware risk stratification—especially in ischemic injury, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathies. In ischemic cardiology, myocardial viability testing appears less decisive for modern CABG selection, while new injury biomarkers (e.g., cMyC, renalase dynamics) and CMR-defined microvascular obstruction aim to capture severity and mechanistic upstream events beyond troponin alone. In myocarditis, reviews and case-based evidence emphasize immune dysregulation and molecular persistence as drivers of progression to chronic cardiomyopathy, alongside practical frameworks for identifying patients at risk for sudden cardiac death when ventricular arrhythmias emerge.
A second major theme is the rapid maturation of CMR as both a diagnostic and operational tool. Multiple studies address how to make CMR faster, more robust, and more scalable—through compressed-sensing cine, motion-sensitive edema imaging, free-breathing volumetric tissue workflows, and standardized fetal gating. Others show how CMR findings refine clinical classification (e.g., pericarditis using LGE) and improve phenotyping in inherited or systemic disease (Fabry, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with hypertension, and rare inflammatory phenotypes). Complementing this, AI and tele-supervised mobile CMR approaches point toward democratizing access and standardizing interpretation.
Finally, several papers highlight the importance of substrate and phenotype heterogeneity—whether in atrial fibrillation (genetic/protein drivers like SPON1 and noninvasive fibrosis proxies for ablation planning), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (genotype-metabolic links, sex-disaggregated differences, early/mild natural history, and hypertension-modified prognosis), or stress cardiomyopathy and rare structural entities where imaging prevents misdiagnosis. Together, the studies suggest a field increasingly focused on tailoring prediction and management to the patient’s specific biological and imaging-defined risk profile.
Myocardial viability & revascularization decision-making
Prognostic value of epicardial adipose tissue distribution as a complementary risk marker for major adverse cardiovascular events in diabetes.
This prospective study of 1071 individuals with diabetes mellitus compared BMI, waist-hip ratio (WHR), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and spatial distribution, and visceral adiposity index (VAI) for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The key finding was that epicardial adipose tissue distribution provided complementary predictive value beyond general obesity measures for MACE risk in diabetes. This suggests that CMR-derived EAT spatial metrics could improve cardiovascular risk stratification and guide more personalized prevention in diabetic patients.
Qiao S, Liu C, Ma Y et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Optimal cardiac phase selection using motion-sensitive cine imaging improves T2w-STIR image quality in cardiac MRI.
This study tested whether motion-sensitive cine imaging–based cardiac phase selection improves cardiac T2-weighted short-tau inversion recovery (T2w-STIR) image quality compared with conventional ECG-synchronized acquisition at end-diastole. In 12 healthy volunteers on a 1.5T cardiac MRI system, motion-sensitive cine imaging (MoSe cine) with ECG and peripheral pulse unit (PPU) synchronization was used to select phases with minimal myocardial motion to reduce signal loss and inhomogeneity. The significance is improved robustness of T2w-STIR cardiac MRI, which can enhance reliability of myocardial edema assessment in clinical practice.
Tachikawa Y, Ando C, Ishikawa R et al. · Magma (New York, N.Y.) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Viability testing for guiding revascularization in ischemic cardiomyopathy.
This review studied the clinical role of myocardial viability testing to guide revascularization decisions in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, focusing on evidence from contemporary revascularization strategies and guideline-directed medical therapy. It found that major trials such as STICH and follow-up showed CABG improves long-term survival largely independently of myocardial viability status, challenging the assumption that viability predicts functional recovery and survival benefit. The implication is that viability testing may have limited value for selecting patients for CABG in modern practice, and future decision-making should integrate newer evidence beyond viability alone.
Li KY, Dhingra NK, Patel R et al. · Current opinion in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) progression, risk, and phenotyping
Concomitant Hypertension in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Clinical Phenotype and Prognostic Associations of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Biomarkers.
This study characterized the cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) phenotype of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with concomitant hypertension and assessed associations with all-cause mortality using CMR tissue characterization with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in the HCM-LGE registry (2008–2024). Hypertension was evaluated for its impact on long-term prognostic performance of CMR-derived biomarkers compared with non-hypertensive HCM patients. These findings are clinically relevant because they refine risk stratification in HCM by integrating hypertension status with CMR biomarkers such as LGE and myocardial structure/function measures.
Florence J, Gonçalves T, Toupin S et al. · European journal of preventive cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Association of TNNI3 and MYBPC3 variants with clinical phenotype and metabolic disorders in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
This study investigated how hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) variants in TNNI3 and MYBPC3 relate to clinical phenotype and metabolic disorders by enrolling 34 newly diagnosed HCM patients, 51 healthy controls, and 23 unaffected family members. Using whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing for variant identification and non-targeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography metabolomics for plasma profiling, it tested associations between genotype and both phenotype and metabolic signatures. The findings are significant for improving genotype-informed risk and for uncovering metabolic pathways that may contribute to heterogeneity in HCM.
Wu H, Yu Q, Li H et al. · BMC cardiovascular disorders · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Sex-disaggregated data in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a targeted literature review, meta-analysis and primary cohort study.
This study combined a targeted literature review, meta-analysis, and a primary cohort analysis to evaluate sex-disaggregated clinical and imaging data in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), including echocardiographic and cardiac MRI measures and NT-proBNP. The key finding was that sex-based differences exist in HCM presentation and biomarker/imaging parameters, motivating sex-specific interpretation of disease severity and progression. Clinically, these findings support more tailored risk assessment and management strategies for men versus women with HCM.
Lim VG, Kokara M, Jarrett A et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Natural History of Asymptomatic Phenotypically Mild HCM: Insights From the SHaRe Registry.
This registry analysis from the Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry (SHaRe) studied the natural history and predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in phenotypically mild hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) defined by shorter disease duration (<10 years since diagnosis or age ≤30), NYHA class I, and no prior MACE. The study identified clinical and disease-course predictors of incident MACE and characterized progression over follow-up in this early/milder phenotype. These data are important for risk stratifying patients who currently do not meet symptom-management criteria and may inform selection for future disease-modifying interventions.
Topriceanu CC, Balakrishnan ID, Vissing CR et al. · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Clinical Course and Predictors of Heart Failure in Asymptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective multicenter study evaluated predictors of progression to symptomatic heart failure in 341 asymptomatic adults with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (NYHA class I, LVEF >50%, LVOT gradient ≥30 mm Hg) using transthoracic echocardiography and clinical follow-up from 2003–2023. The key finding was identification of clinical and echocardiographic factors associated with developing symptomatic heart failure over time in this initially asymptomatic obstructive HCM population. Clinically, these predictors can help risk-stratify patients with obstructive HCM to guide closer monitoring and earlier intervention before symptom onset.
Schulz A, Maron MS, Peng LW et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Atrial fibrillation (AF) mechanisms, fibrosis, and ablation substrate
Atrial Fibrosis Imaging: Correlation of Late Gadolinium Enhancement Magnetic Resonance Imaging With High-Definition Voltage Electroanatomical Mapping Across Different Thresholds.
This study evaluated atrial fibrosis in 60 ablation-naïve atrial fibrillation patients using 1.5T late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac MRI (free-breathing 3D LGE, 1.3 mm isotropic, echo-navigator end-expiratory gating) and compared it with high-definition voltage electroanatomical mapping across different voltage thresholds. LGE-derived fibrosis measures correlated with electroanatomical voltage-defined scar, with the strength of agreement varying by the mapping threshold used. These findings support using LGE CMR as a noninvasive proxy for nonuniform atrial substrate and help calibrate how voltage thresholds relate to imaging-defined fibrosis for AF ablation planning.
Efremidis T, Nyktari E, Kariki O et al. · Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Identifying the Presence and Characteristics of Mid-Myocardial and Epicardial Fibrosis From Intracardiac Electrograms in Patients Undergoing Ventricular Arrhythmia Ablation Using a Transformer-Based Self-Supervised Classifier.
This study developed and tested a transformer-based self-supervised machine learning classifier to infer mid-myocardial and epicardial fibrosis from intracardiac electrograms in patients undergoing ventricular arrhythmia ablation. The key finding was that electrogram-derived features could be used to identify nonendocardial scar characteristics beyond the endocardial surface, using delayed-enhancement CMR as the reference standard. This is clinically significant because it could reduce reliance on preprocedural LGE CMR and improve intra-procedural substrate targeting for ventricular arrhythmia ablation.
Liu X, Qayyum A, Bandyopadhyay S et al. · Circulation. Arrhythmia and electrophysiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multiomics Insights Into the Role of Spondin-1 in the Pathogenesis and Prognosis of Atrial Fibrillation.
This multiomics study investigated molecular drivers of atrial fibrillation (AF) by integrating Mendelian randomization and colocalization using plasma protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) and atrial expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) with AF genome-wide association studies, then prioritizing SPON1 (spondin-1). It identified SPON1 as a priority candidate and supported its role using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and experimental validation. The clinical significance is that SPON1 may represent a novel therapeutic target or biomarker pathway for AF pathogenesis and prognosis.
Long X, Zhang Y, Gao X et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Myocarditis and transition to cardiomyopathy/heart failure
Post-viral myocarditis.
This review studied the mechanisms by which post-viral myocarditis leads to post-viral cardiomyopathy and progression to dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure, focusing on viral pathogens such as parvovirus B19, human herpesvirus 6, and enteroviruses. It found that persistent or dysregulated immune and molecular changes after viral infection can drive ongoing myocardial inflammation and remodeling that culminate in chronic dysfunction. Clinically, clarifying these pathways supports improved risk stratification and targeted research for preventing transition from acute viral myocarditis to chronic heart failure phenotypes.
Sokolski M, Zychla W, Wilk M et al. · Heart failure reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Rapidly Progressive Myocarditis and Cardiogenic Shock: The Failing Heart in Systemic Sclerosis.
This case report studied rapidly progressive myocarditis with cardiogenic shock in a 49-year-old woman with diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc), using echocardiography, electrocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and endomyocardial biopsy. The key finding was diffuse biventricular myocardial inflammation with lymphocytic infiltration on biopsy, despite severe systolic dysfunction and shock requiring intensive support. Scientifically and clinically, it highlights that SSc can present as fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis and that early CMR and biopsy may be crucial for diagnosis and management.
Mohammad F, Alhajri N, Al-Matrooshi N et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Knowledge landscape and hotspots of scientific publications on myocarditis: a bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2024.
This bibliometric analysis studied the knowledge landscape and research hotspots in myocarditis publications from 2000 to 2024 using the Web of Science database and visualization/analysis in R and Microsoft Excel. The key finding was a mapped pattern of publication volume, citation activity, and emerging trends across the period, identifying where myocarditis research has concentrated and evolved. This is significant for guiding future funding and research priorities by showing which topics and methods are gaining traction in the myocarditis field.
Zheng X, He Y, Lin W et al. · Singapore medical journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Loeffler’s Endomyocarditis: Clinical characteristics and outcomes from a tertiary care centre registry.
This retrospective single-center registry study analyzed 18 patients with Loeffler’s endomyocarditis (cardiac manifestation of hypereosinophilic syndrome) diagnosed between 2017 and 2025 using clinical data, biomarkers, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and endomyocardial biopsies (n=8). The key finding was that unsupervised hierarchical clustering identified two clinical phenotypes—an acute inflammatory form with elevated troponin T, C-reactive protein, fever, and subepicardial late gadolinium enhancement, and a second pattern (described in the truncated abstract) consistent with differing disease behavior. These data are significant because they suggest prognostically and therapeutically relevant heterogeneity in Loeffler’s endomyocarditis that can be captured by multimodal imaging and biomarkers.
Buske P, Krieghoff C, Lücke C et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Arrhythmic Myocarditis and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: Current Evidence, Risk Stratification, and Management.
This review summarized evidence on arrhythmic myocarditis and sudden cardiac death (SCD) prevention, focusing on risk stratification and management strategies in patients with myocarditis who develop ventricular arrhythmias. It emphasized that ventricular arrhythmias occur in a meaningful subset of hospitalized acute myocarditis patients (often early in the inflammatory phase) and that risk assessment should integrate clinical features, ventricular function, arrhythmic burden, genetic variants, and cardiac MRI findings such as late gadolinium enhancement. The synthesis is clinically significant because it provides a framework for identifying high-risk patients and guiding monitoring and therapeutic decisions to reduce SCD risk.
Imazio M, Collini V, Tomat M et al. · Hellenic journal of cardiology : HJC = Hellenike kardiologike epitheorese · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Stress (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy and other acute cardiomyopathy triggers
Stress-Induced (Takotsubo) Cardiomyopathy Associated With Upadacitinib Induction Therapy in Severe Crohn’s Disease.
This case report studied stress-induced (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy occurring after induction therapy with the JAK inhibitor upadacitinib in a 64-year-old woman with severe Crohn’s disease. The key finding was new left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction ~35%) with mid-to-apical wall motion abnormalities that resolved on cardiac MRI without fibrosis or infarction, with coronary angiography showing nonobstructive disease. Clinically, it suggests that upadacitinib may be temporally associated with Takotsubo physiology and that cardiac imaging can help distinguish it from ischemic or inflammatory cardiomyopathy.
Alnounou A, Katwala A, Sawaf B et al. · ACG case reports journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
An unexpected sequel to happiness: happy heart syndrome.
This case report described a 65-year-old woman with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia who developed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by a positive emotional event (a wedding), presenting as “happy heart syndrome.” The key finding was that she had transient ECG changes with elevated troponin and subsequent normalization of ST-segment elevations with QT prolongation and T-wave inversion. Clinically, it highlights that emotional triggers can precipitate stress cardiomyopathy and that serial ECG and biomarker assessment are important for diagnosis and monitoring.
Rhabneh L, Wafi J, Ababneh R et al. · Oxford medical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI (CMR) acquisition acceleration, motion robustness, and workflow standardization
Standardized Acquisition of Fetal Cardiac Cine MRI: A Practical Guide.
This practical guide studied how to standardize fetal cardiac cine MRI acquisition in the context of limitations of fetal ultrasound and the need for reliable cardiac gating and motion compensation. It found that advances in fetal rhythm monitoring within the MRI scanner enable retrospective gating, allowing reproducible cine cardiac assessment using a standardized protocol. Clinically, this improves the reliability and comparability of fetal cardiac MRI for systematic evaluation when ultrasound is constrained by maternal or fetal factors.
Biechele G, de Vries F, Stos B et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
AI Model Improves Interpretation of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans.
This News and Perspectives article studied an AI tool intended to improve interpretation of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) scans by addressing time and specialist-expertise constraints. The key finding was that the proposed AI approach can enhance accuracy and efficiency of CMR interpretation. This is significant because it could accelerate clinical workflows and standardize image reading, potentially improving access to high-quality CMR assessment.
Narang SK · Journal of medical Internet research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
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.
In a single-center prospective cohort of 42 patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <45%) undergoing concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and mitral valve replacement (MVR), this study compared Del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) versus conventional cold blood cardioplegia (CBC) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to assess early myocardial functional recovery. The trial’s early CMR outcomes were used to determine whether DNC provides superior functional recovery compared with CBC in this high-risk population. If DNC improves early recovery, it could influence cardioplegia selection to optimize myocardial protection in patients with impaired systolic function undergoing combined CABG+MVR.
Gode S, Polat M, Eroğlu Polat A et al. · Turk gogus kalp damar cerrahisi dergisi · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Genomic insights into Mycobacterium cavoris sp. nov., related to Mycobacterium terrae complex isolated from the oral cavity of a healthy adult.
This study reported genomic insights into a novel nontuberculous mycobacterium species, Mycobacterium cavoris sp. nov., within the Mycobacterium terrae complex, based on a strain (SVM_VP21) isolated from the oral cavity of a healthy adult in Delhi, India. Whole-genome sequencing was performed using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform, with assembly using Shovill and gene annotation using Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology (RAST). The work is significant for improving taxonomy and identification of related M. terrae complex organisms that may be missed by standard line probe assays.
Chauhan V, Shrivastava K, Kumar P et al. · Antonie van Leeuwenhoek · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Performance of compressed-sensing cardiac accelerated cine MR in evaluating left ventricular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis studied whether compressed-sensing (CS) accelerated cine cardiac MRI (bSSFP readout) provides consistent left ventricular functional measurements compared with standard segmented cine (Std-cine) sequences in participants undergoing cine CMR. The key finding was that CS-cine and Std-cine showed consistency for left ventricular characteristics/functional assessment, supporting interchangeability for LV evaluation when using CS acceleration. Scientifically, this supports faster cine CMR acquisition strategies that may improve workflow and patient tolerance without sacrificing diagnostic agreement.
Wang Z, Kong H, Zhou Z et al. · BMC medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Ferumoxytol dose optimization for three-dimensional whole-heart magnetic resonance imaging in patients with congenital heart disease.
This prospective pediatric CMR study optimized ferumoxytol dosing for 3D whole-heart imaging at 1.5T in 45 patients with congenital heart disease by escalating dose regimens (1 mg/kg→2 mg/kg or 2 mg/kg→3 mg/kg) and measuring image quality and blood-pool nulling inversion time (TI). The key finding was that sequential ferumoxytol dose escalation improved physiologic blood-pool nulling TI and overall 3D whole-heart image quality in a dose-dependent manner. This is significant because it provides practical dosing guidance for off-label ferumoxytol-enhanced CMR in children and young patients, improving reliability of post-contrast imaging.
Erdem S, Hussain T, El Jerbi A et al. · Pediatric radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Diagnostic and Prognostic Utility of Mitral Annular Plane Systolic Excursion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the diagnostic and prognostic utility of mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) measured by transthoracic echocardiography (and compared with CMR, with additional modalities including transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac CT) across published studies. It found that MAPSE is a fast, simple, and potentially automatable longitudinal function measure with evidence supporting diagnostic and prognostic associations, despite the lack of major imaging guidelines recommending routine use. The significance is that MAPSE could be incorporated more broadly into echocardiographic assessment for risk prediction, pending standardization and guideline updates.
Falconer D, Fröjdh F, Wyeth N et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CMR tissue characterization & quantitative mapping (including novel sequences/techniques)
[Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: routine use in cardiology and unique strengths].
This article reviewed the routine use and distinctive strengths of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in cardiology, focusing on functional assessment and non-invasive tissue characterization in a single examination. The key finding was that CMR techniques—such as stress perfusion CMR with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) for coronary artery disease and Lake Louise–based CMR for inflammatory myocardial disease—enable differentiation of ischemia/viability and inflammatory patterns. Scientifically and clinically, it supports broader adoption of CMR protocols to improve diagnostic accuracy across ischemic, inflammatory, and other cardiomyopathies.
Schulz A, Reiter T · Innere Medizin (Heidelberg, Germany) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Clinical Feasibility of Free-Breathing Volumetric Comprehensive Tissue Characterization via the Multi-parametric SAVA Technique.
This work evaluated the clinical feasibility of a free-breathing, volumetric multi-parametric SAVA technique (3D mSAVA) for comprehensive myocardial tissue characterization in patients, including pre-/post-contrast T1, T2, extracellular volume (ECV), and synthesized bright-blood and dark-blood LGE. The key finding was that 3D free-breathing mSAVA produced usable tissue maps and LGE images and showed performance agreement with conventional reference methods (T1 mapping, T2 mapping, and PSIR). This supports broader clinical adoption of “one-stop” volumetric CMR tissue characterization workflows that reduce breath-holding and streamline imaging.
Jiang Y, Si D, Cai Q et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CMR in inflammatory/pericardial and diagnostic classification refinement
Added value of cardiac magnetic resonance to clinical diagnostic criteria in the diagnosis of pericarditis: a retrospective cohort study.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated whether cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) improves diagnostic accuracy for pericarditis compared with clinical diagnostic criteria alone, analyzing consecutive patients referred for CMR between 2010 and 2024. The key finding was that the presence or absence of pericardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on CMR (CMR-pos vs CMR-neg) meaningfully refined diagnostic classification and clinical patterns when compared with transient clinical features. Scientifically and clinically, it supports incorporating CMR-LGE into diagnostic pathways to reduce misclassification of pericarditis in challenging cases.
Hasslacher S, Kritharides L, Yu C et al. · Heart (British Cardiac Society) · (2026) · 2 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) biomarkers and microvascular obstruction
Molecular and imaging biomarkers in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury: from pathogenetic mechanisms to therapeutic targeting.
This narrative review examined myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) biomarkers—linking mechanistic processes such as infarct expansion, microvascular obstruction, and intramyocardial hemorrhage to diagnostic and therapeutic targeting strategies. It highlights that while high-sensitivity cardiac troponins are central for detecting myocardial necrosis, they provide limited mechanistic insight into upstream MIRI events, motivating the search for additional established and emerging biomarkers. The review is significant for guiding biomarker-driven development of therapies and for improving mechanistic interpretation of injury beyond necrosis detection.
Nasoufidou A, Bantidos MG, Kofos C et al. · Expert review of cardiovascular therapy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Efficacy and Safety of Pharmaceutically Manufactured Cannabidiol in Recurrent Pericarditis: A Phase II Clinical Trial.
This prospective cohort study investigated whether the periprocedural change in renalase (Δ-renalase measured before and 24 hours after primary PCI) is independently associated with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-defined microvascular obstruction (MVO) in 266 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). The key finding was that Δ-renalase added incremental value for early risk stratification of MVO beyond baseline clinical and procedural factors. Clinically, measuring renalase dynamics could help identify patients at higher risk of MVO-related adverse outcomes soon after PPCI.
Luis SA, Klein AL, Cremer PC et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Unmasking Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Multimodality Imaging With Stress Cardiac MRI and Coronary CT Angiography.
This case report used multimodality imaging to investigate coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) in a 21-year-old woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The key finding was that stress cardiac MRI and coronary CT angiography together identified CMD and supported the HCM diagnosis, alongside echocardiographic evidence of mild left ventricular hypertrophy, reduced global longitudinal strain, and mildly increased LVOT gradients. The clinical significance is that combined stress CMR and coronary CT can help unmask microvascular ischemia in HCM when symptoms and functional impairment are disproportionate to epicardial coronary findings.
Ufuk F · Case reports in radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac myosin-binding protein C in ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
This study assessed cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyC) as a biomarker of myocardial injury in reperfused acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), comparing its relationship to MI size and microvascular obstruction measured by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR and to hs-cTnI. cMyC correlated with acute and final infarct size on LGE CMR and was associated with the presence of acute microvascular obstruction (MVO) on CMR. If validated, cMyC could enable earlier detection and improved characterization of infarct severity and microvascular damage than troponin alone in reperfused STEMI.
Rajakulasingam R, Alaour B, McGrath S et al. · European heart journal. Acute cardiovascular care · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Coronary intervention strategy for chronic total occlusion (CTO)
Antegrade dissection and re-entry versus retrograde strategy in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention: Rationale and design of the ADRENALINE randomized study.
The ADRENALINE study is a prospective, multicenter randomized superiority trial designed to compare antegrade dissection and re-entry (ADR) versus a retrograde strategy for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with difficult lesions (J-CTO score ≥2). It plans to enroll 121 patients and randomize those undergoing successful antegrade wiring to determine which strategy yields better outcomes. This is scientifically and clinically significant because it addresses a key evidence gap in CTO PCI strategy selection for difficult lesions.
Opolski MP, Spiewak M, Machaj F et al. · American heart journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Mechanical circulatory/PCI adjuncts to reduce infarct size
Left Ventricular Unloading in Anterior ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Without Shock: The ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Door to Unload Randomized Controlled Trial.
This randomized controlled trial tested whether mechanical left ventricular unloading using a transvalvular microaxial flow pump (TV-mAFP) combined with delayed reperfusion reduces infarct size versus reperfusion alone in patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without cardiogenic shock. The key finding was whether the LV unloading strategy achieved smaller infarct size compared with standard PCI reperfusion in the STEMI-Door to Unload (DTU) pivotal trial population. If effective, the approach could shift STEMI management by targeting infarct size reduction through load modulation even in patients not in shock.
Kapur NK, Mangner N, Aghili N et al. · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · (2026) · 5 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiovascular risk prediction using EHR/telemedicine and population screening
HERZCHECK: Early Detection of Subclinical Preheart Failure Using Mobile Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Telemedicine in Rural and Underressourced Regions.
HERZCHECK studied whether a fully mobile, telemedically supervised cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) screening algorithm can detect subclinical pre–heart failure in asymptomatic adults aged 40–69 years with cardiovascular risk factors across 12 rural/underresourced sites in Germany. The key finding was that mobile CMR with tele-supervision was feasible as a standardized screening approach for identifying pre-HF abnormalities in these settings. This supports scalable, ubiquitously deployable CMR-based prevention strategies to reduce future symptomatic heart failure burden in underserved regions.
Kelle S, Müller ML, Beyer RE et al. · Circulation. Heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Mortality trends and demographics due to hypertensive nephrosclerosis in older adults from 1999-2020.
Using CDC WONDER data (1999–2020) and ICD-10 code I-12 for hypertensive renal disease, this study analyzed mortality trends and demographics of hypertensive nephrosclerosis (HSN)–related deaths in U.S. adults aged ≥65 years. It calculated crude and age-adjusted mortality rates and used Joinpoint regression to quantify changes over time. These results are important for public health planning because they characterize how HSN mortality burden has evolved in older adults and may inform prevention and care strategies.
Kalpina F, Kumar D, Shujaat T et al. · Journal of human hypertension · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Scalable risk stratification of undiagnosed heart failure using routine health data and its association with imaging phenotypes and outcomes.
This study developed and validated FIND-HF, a scalable logistic regression model to identify individuals at high risk of undiagnosed heart failure within one year using routine electronic health records (EHR) in UK primary care (CPRD-Aurum, n=3,520,186) and then externally validated it in CPRD-GOLD (n=570,850), Japan (JMDC, n=6,820,694), and the United States (Epic Cosmos, n=7,710,3 [truncated]). It evaluated how predicted risk relates to imaging phenotypes and subsequent outcomes, demonstrating that a simpler routine-data approach can perform comparably to more complex methods. The clinical significance is earlier detection of high-risk, yet undiagnosed, HF to enable timely diagnostic workup and intervention.
Nakao YM, Nadarajah R, Shuweihdi F et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Periprocedural 24-Hour Change in Renalase Adds Incremental Value for Early Risk Stratification of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance-Defined Microvascular Obstruction in Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Prospective Cohort Study.
This protocol paper studied the development and evaluation of a novel multiplex near-point-of-care PCR assay for detecting sexually transmitted infections among PrEP users in Western Kenya using a cross-sectional pilot design with epidemiological assessment. The key finding (as a protocol) is the planned use of FlashDx near-point-of-care molecular testing to overcome limitations of centralized NAATs by reducing turnaround time and infrastructure needs. Scientifically and clinically, it aims to validate a scalable diagnostic approach for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in an LMIC setting where STI testing access is limited.
Chen Y, Li R, Fu R et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Abnormal Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mapping Parameters in Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients with Elevated Donor-Derived Cell Free DNA.
This retrospective study evaluated multiparametric cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) trends in pediatric heart transplant patients who had clinically indicated CMR within 30 days and were stratified by high versus low donor-derived cell-free DNA (ddcfDNA) levels for rejection surveillance. The key finding was that pediatric transplant patients with elevated ddcfDNA showed abnormal CMR mapping parameters (from T1/T2 mapping and extracellular volume fraction) compared with those with low ddcfDNA. Scientifically, it supports integrating ddcfDNA with quantitative CMR tissue metrics to improve detection of biopsy-proven rejection risk in children.
Watanabe K, Magnetta DA, Laternser C et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Obstructive sleep apnea and rising cerebrovascular disease mortality in the United States, 1999-2020: A retrospective analysis.
This retrospective analysis examined whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cerebrovascular disease mortality in the United States from 1999–2020, stratifying outcomes by gender, race, urbanization, and geographic region. The study found that cerebrovascular disease mortality increased among adults with OSA over the study period, with differences across demographic and geographic strata. These results reinforce OSA as a modifiable risk factor for cerebrovascular outcomes and support targeted public health and clinical interventions.
Zafar F, Jha M, Min S et al. · Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Integrative Observational and Genetic Evidence From the UK Biobank Supports Carotid Intima-Media Thickness as a Window Into Cardiac Remodeling.
This UK Biobank integrative observational and genetic analysis studied whether carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is associated with early cardiac remodeling and shares genetic architecture with cardiovascular disease, using 46,102 participants with carotid ultrasound and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. It found phenotypic and genetic links between higher cIMT and cardiac/aortic traits relevant to remodeling, supporting cIMT as a window into subclinical cardiac structural changes. Scientifically, this strengthens the causal/pleiotropic rationale for using cIMT as a surrogate marker to understand and potentially predict cardiac remodeling and future cardiovascular outcomes.
Chong SH, Saccoh AF, van Vugt M et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiovascular imaging biomarkers of obesity/adiposity and metabolic risk
Differential Biventricular Strain Recovery With Selective Fibrosis Biomarker Regression After Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Prospective CMR Feature-Tracking Study.
This prospective CMR feature-tracking study examined 32 patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) to determine whether biventricular and biatrial strain recovery differs after surgery and how this relates to selective fibrosis biomarker regression and adipokine changes. The key finding was differential recovery of biventricular strain patterns with selective regression of fibrosis biomarkers, indicating uneven cardiac recovery timelines rather than uniform reversal. Scientifically, it links bariatric surgery–associated metabolic changes to specific myocardial mechanics and fibrosis-related processes, informing targeted follow-up after LSG.
Akarsu H, Kılıç İD, Dodurga Y et al. · Obesity surgery · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The contribution of adolescent cardiovascular disease risk factors to vascular stiffness and cardiac remodelling in young adults.
Using Raine Study participants (n=716) classified by cluster analysis for cardiovascular risk at age 17 and re-assessed at age 27, this study examined how adolescent cardiovascular risk factors contribute to vascular stiffness (pulse wave velocity) and cardiac remodeling (CMR-derived LV/RV/LA strain and LV mass index). The key finding was that higher adolescent CVD risk was associated with worse vascular stiffness and adverse CMR remodeling/strain measures in young adulthood. This supports early-life risk stratification as a scientific basis for interventions to prevent later cardiovascular disease.
Barden AE, Beilin LJ, Lan NSR et al. · European journal of preventive cardiology · (2026) · 2 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac Remodeling and Dysfunction Associated in Populations With Obesity: An Analysis of Cardiac Structure and Function.
This systematic review and meta-analysis studied obesity-related cardiac remodeling phenotypes by pooling CMR-derived cardiac parameters from adults with obesity (WHO criteria) versus non-obese controls. The key finding was that obesity is associated with a consistent CMR phenotype characterized by measurable differences in myocardial structure/function and tissue/adiposity-related metrics across included studies. Clinically, it helps define the subclinical CMR patterns linked to obesity that may guide risk prediction and future preventive trials.
Khanna S, Wilson D, Mann G et al. · Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac involvement in systemic diseases (Fabry, scleroderma, thrombotic disorders, myeloma, etc.)
ECG parameters to detect cardiac involvement in Fabry disease.
This study evaluated electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters for detecting cardiac involvement across clinical stages of Fabry disease, comparing 62 Fabry patients with 45 healthy controls using ECG, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) acquired on the same day. It assessed which ECG changes best reflect cardiac involvement as supported by imaging findings across disease stages. The results are important because they could enable earlier, noninvasive identification of cardiac involvement in Fabry disease using routine ECG screening.
Wang Y, Kong J, Wang J et al. · BMC cardiovascular disorders · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Long-term follow-up of a phase 1/2 trial of anti-GDF-15 antibody visugromab plus anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab in anti-PD-1/-L1 relapsed/refractory solid tumors.
This study reported long-term outcomes from the first-in-human phase 1/2a GDFATHER-01 trial in patients with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 relapsed/refractory locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors (non-squamous NSCLC, urothelial carcinoma, or hepatocellular carcinoma) treated with the anti-GDF-15 neutralizing antibody visugromab plus the anti–PD-1 antibody nivolumab. The key finding was that the combination produced durable clinical activity with sustained objective responses over extended follow-up in this heavily pretreated, anti–PD-1/PD-L1–resistant population. These results support GDF-15 as a clinically relevant resistance mechanism to PD-1 blockade and provide rationale for further development of visugromab+nivolumab in PD-1–resistant solid tumors.
Melero I, de Miguel M, Cabanas EG et al. · Journal of hematology & oncology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiological aspects of Fabry disease: from diagnosis to therapeutic efficacy assessment.
This review summarized how Fabry disease (due to deficient or absent alpha-galactosidase A activity causing globotriaosylceramide accumulation) is diagnosed and monitored for cardiac involvement using ECG, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and cardiac biomarkers such as troponin and N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide. The key finding was that these modalities—especially CMR and biomarker assessment—are central for suspecting, diagnosing, and tracking Fabry cardiomyopathy severity across a broad clinical spectrum. Clinically, the article highlights an evidence-based framework for longitudinal cardiac efficacy assessment in Fabry disease, where cardiac morbidity and mortality are driven by progressive cardiomyopathy.
Graziani F, Biagini E, Argirò A et al. · Orphanet journal of rare diseases · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Severe hypereosinophilia and eosinophilic myocarditis during secondary plasma cell leukemia: evidence of a paraneoplastic manifestation of aggressive myeloma evolution.
This case report described a 40-year-old woman with IgG lambda multiple myeloma who developed severe hypereosinophilia and eosinophilic myocarditis during progression to secondary plasma cell leukemia. The key finding was that the eosinophilic cardiac involvement occurred as a paraneoplastic manifestation of aggressive myeloma evolution and improved after daratumumab-based induction therapy with subsequent autologous stem cell transplant. Scientifically and clinically, it underscores that life-threatening eosinophilic myocarditis can complicate plasma cell neoplasms and that prompt myeloma-directed therapy may be critical.
Catini ME, Garibotto M, Morelli MC et al. · Annals of hematology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality imaging of myocardial injury and coronary microvascular dysfunction in congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
This case report described subclinical cardiac involvement in a patient with congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura due to ADAMTS13 deficiency who temporarily stopped enzyme replacement therapy. Cardiac MRI showed myocardial fibrosis/scarring and PET myocardial perfusion imaging demonstrated impaired myocardial flow reserve consistent with coronary microvascular dysfunction. The report highlights that multimodality CMR plus PET perfusion can detect early cardiac injury in ADAMTS13-related disease even when clinical symptoms are minimal.
Kumar A, Khokhlov L, O’Donnell R · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac tumors, rare cardiomyopathies, and diagnostic pitfalls
Colorectal anastomotic safety assessment using ICG fluorescence and flexible endoscopy (COLOSSEUM): a global survey of 1367 surgeons.
This global Delphi-like survey studied 1367 colorectal surgeons across 80 countries to characterize real-world practice patterns for colorectal anastomotic safety assessment using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence and flexible endoscopy (FE). The key finding was substantial intersurgeon variability in how and when ICG fluorescence and FE are used, despite shared goals of assessing perfusion and anastomotic integrity. This highlights the need for structured recommendations or standardization to improve consistency of intraoperative assessment and potentially reduce anastomotic leakage.
Belvedere A, Licardie E, Sochorova D et al. · Surgical endoscopy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Extra-Mitral Abnormalities in Non-Syndromic Mitral Valve Prolapse assessed by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.
In a retrospective case-control study of 120 non-syndromic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) patients without confounding conditions (e.g., more than mild regurgitation, bicuspid aortic valve, hypertension, or known/suspected syndromic connective tissue disease), this work used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to assess extra-mitral abnormalities suggestive of connective tissue alterations. The key finding was that non-syndromic MVP is associated with systemic morpho-functional features beyond the mitral valve detectable by CMR. Scientifically, it broadens the phenotype of MVP and supports CMR-based evaluation for subtle systemic involvement even when overt syndromic disease is absent.
Figliozzi S, Stankowski K, Donia D et al. · The Canadian journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Incidental Cardiac Fibroma in a Young Soldier: Exercise Authorization and Graded Fitness-for-Duty Determination.
This case report studied a 25-year-old active-duty soldier with an incidentally discovered intramyocardial cardiac fibroma identified after routine ECG screening and echocardiography. The key finding was that the patient’s diagnosis prompted a need for exercise authorization and graded fitness-for-duty determination, highlighting the absence of specific sports/exercise guidance for this entity in major guidelines. Clinically, it provides practical considerations for military fitness decisions and underscores the need for evidence-based recommendations for incidental cardiac tumors.
Demoulin R, Parsaï C, Bone ACK et al. · Military medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Novel Multiplex Near-Point-of-Care PCR Assay for Detecting Sexually Transmitted Infections Among PrEP Users in Western Kenya: Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Pilot Study With an Epidemiological Assessment.
This case report studied nonsurgical management of a post-traumatic left ventricular septal aneurysm in a 13-year-old male after blunt chest trauma, using ECG/troponin assessment and cardiac imaging including echocardiography and CMR with late gadolinium enhancement. The key finding was that conservative therapy with enalapril, propranolol, and aspirin led to clinical stability with preserved systolic function despite near-transmural LGE. Clinically, it supports that selected pediatric traumatic septal aneurysms without ventricular septal defect and with preserved function may be managed without surgery.
Sohaili A, Mogaka F, Alexiou Z et al. · JMIR research protocols · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality imaging of extensive caseous-calcific myocardial involvement mimicking a cardiac mass.
This case report described a 73-year-old asymptomatic woman whose echocardiography suggested a large non-mobile interventricular septal mass with posterior mitral annular calcification. The key finding was that cardiac magnetic resonance characterized extensive caseous-calcific myocardial involvement by showing markedly reduced native T1 and T2 values, first-pass hypoperfusion, and peripheral late gadolinium enhancement around a non-enhancing calcified core, mimicking a tumor. This is clinically significant because CMR tissue characterization can prevent misdiagnosis of calcific/caseous lesions as true cardiac masses.
Frittella S, Lo Monaco M, Mollace R et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Left ventricular excessive trabeculation: pathophysiology, diagnostic challenges, and prognostic significance.
This review discussed left ventricular excessive trabeculation (LVET), including its pathophysiology, diagnostic pitfalls, and prognostic implications, challenging the traditional view that it solely represents left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) from impaired embryonic compaction. It concluded that LVET is a heterogeneous phenotypic trait influenced by genetic factors, developmental processes, and acquired hemodynamic adaptations, and that diagnostic criteria can lead to misclassification. The clinical significance is improved interpretation of LVET on imaging and more nuanced risk assessment rather than assuming a single cardiomyopathy mechanism.
Beltrami M, Maestrini V, Baritussio A et al. · Heart failure reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generated automatically on July 14, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published July 07, 2026 – July 14, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.