What's New in Cardiac MRI? — September 16, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 53 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
September 16, 2026 · 53 articles · 15 research themes · covering September 09, 2026 – September 16, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) continues to expand from “diagnosis” into mechanism-based risk stratification and longitudinal monitoring. Multiple studies leverage CMR tissue characterization (e.g., late gadolinium enhancement, native T1/ECV) to refine prognosis in conditions such as ischemic cardiomyopathy after STEMI, transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, and even Takotsubo syndrome phenotypes. Parallel work in chest pain/ANOCA shows that stress perfusion CMR endotyping can improve patient-centered outcomes (reducing diagnostic uncertainty–related illness perceptions) and that modality-specific “warranty periods” can help avoid unnecessary repeat testing.
A second dominant theme is imaging-guided management of arrhythmia risk and substrate. Right-atrial remodeling after pulmonary vein isolation can be tracked with 3D LGE-CMR and relates to 1-year recurrence, while feature-tracking strain patterns are explored as potential surrogates for electroanatomical scar when CMR fibrosis imaging is not feasible. Several reports also highlight how noninvasive or multimodality imaging can prevent misclassification—such as supraventricular tachycardia mimicking ventricular tachycardia during exercise testing, or focal septal myocarditis mimicking STEMI—underscoring the clinical value of accurate phenotyping.
Finally, the digest reflects a broad push toward personalized, biology-informed care: from cardiotoxicity risk after anthracyclines (mechanistic animal data plus long-latency case reports) and immune/infectious contributors (HLA-B27–associated constrictive pericarditis; CMV latency fueling inflammation during MI repair), to cardiometabolic drug effects (GLP-1/GIP pathway differences) and targeted therapeutic strategies for remodeling-driven valvular disease (e.g., functional TR). Together, these studies emphasize that modern cardiovascular practice increasingly integrates imaging, biomarkers, and mechanistic understanding to tailor monitoring and treatment intensity.
CMR/Imaging-Guided Risk Stratification in Chest Pain/ANOCA
Endotype-informed therapy and effects on illness perception and psychological health in patients with chest pain and no obstructive coronary artery disease.
The CorCMR trial studied whether non-invasive stress perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) used to define ischaemic endotypes and guide targeted therapy improves illness perception and psychological health in patients with chest pain/angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA). Compared with standard angiography-guided care, endotype-informed management improved diagnostic uncertainty-related illness perceptions and psychological outcomes. This supports using stress perfusion CMR endotyping to reduce symptom persistence and psychological distress in ANOCA, potentially improving patient-centered outcomes alongside diagnostic accuracy.
Bradley CP, McKinley G, Orchard V et al. · European heart journal. Quality of care & clinical outcomes · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Septal Myocarditis Mimicking Proximal Left Anterior Descending Artery Occlusion.
This JACC Case Reports article presented a previously healthy 21-year-old woman with acute chest pain, marked high-sensitivity troponin elevation, and an anteroseptal ST-segment elevation pattern with conduction abnormalities. Coronary angiography showed nonobstructive coronary arteries, while cardiac magnetic resonance demonstrated focal septal edema with nonischemic late gadolinium enhancement consistent with acute myocarditis, mimicking proximal left anterior descending artery occlusion. The report is clinically important because it highlights how focal septal myocarditis can present like STEMI and supports early CMR to distinguish ischemic from inflammatory causes.
Jeong SY, Jayawardena SV, Seton N et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Focal Myocardial Fibrosis Mimicking Hypertrophy in INOCA and the Energetic Cost of Supranormal Ejection Fraction.
This JACC Case Reports report described a 72-year-old woman with ischemia with nonobstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) in whom acetylcholine provocation testing demonstrated epicardial and microvascular coronary spasm. Cardiac magnetic resonance showed focal late gadolinium enhancement (replacement fibrosis) in the interventricular septum that mimicked hypertrophy, alongside a supranormal ejection fraction (79%) and reduced end-systolic performance. The significance is that it highlights how coronary spasm can produce focal myocardial fibrosis and altered cardiac energetics detectable by CMR, informing long-term risk assessment.
Nguyen TH, Nakamura T, Sato A · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cancer Therapy–Related Cardiotoxicity (Anthracyclines)
Anthracycline cardiotoxicity: role of metabolic vulnerability induced by cardiac pressure overload.
This study examined how cardiac pressure overload (left ventricular aortic banding) creates metabolic vulnerability that increases susceptibility to anthracycline cardiotoxicity from doxorubicin in 2-month-old Yucatan pigs. In the LV pressure-overload model, doxorubicin exposure produced greater cardiotoxic effects than doxorubicin alone, consistent with a mechanism driven by altered metabolic state under stress. These findings identify pressure-overload–induced metabolic vulnerability as a mechanistic target for preventing doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in patients with hypertension or valvular disease.
Galán-Arriola C, Pérez-Camargo D, Jorge I et al. · European heart journal · (2026) · 7 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Late Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity Mimicking Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy in a Young Adult.
This JACC Case Reports article presented a 26-year-old man treated in childhood Burkitt lymphoma with doxorubicin (cumulative 120 mg/m2) who developed exertional chest discomfort and palpitations years later. Despite preserved ejection fraction on echocardiography, imaging showed reduced global longitudinal strain and cardiac magnetic resonance findings consistent with delayed doxorubicin cardiotoxicity that mimicked arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (specific CMR details truncated). The case emphasizes that late anthracycline cardiotoxicity should be considered in young patients with arrhythmia/cardiomyopathy phenotypes long after doxorubicin exposure.
Chedid M, Barrett C, Sun M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI (CMR) for Ischemia, Microvascular Injury & Prognosis
Long-Term Warranty Period of Stress CMR and SPECT in Stable Angina: Implications for Repeat Testing.
Using data from the CE-MARC trial (752 patients with suspected angina), this study assessed the long-term prognostic value of normal stress CMR versus normal stress SPECT and aimed to define operational “warranty periods” for repeat testing. Normal stress CMR and normal SPECT showed different long-term prognostic performance, enabling estimation of time windows during which repeat functional imaging is unlikely to add prognostic value. Clinically, this can reduce unnecessary repeat tests and improve follow-up strategies for stable chest pain by tailoring re-testing intervals to the imaging modality.
Bisaccia G, Swoboda PP, Younger JF et al. · JACC. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Traditional left ventricular indices outperform novel cardiovascular magnetic resonance-derived left atrial parameters in predicting adverse left ventricular remodelling after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
A post-hoc analysis of the EURO-ICE trial (200 anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients) compared prognostic performance of traditional left ventricular (LV) indices versus novel CMR-derived left atrial (LA) parameters and left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI) for predicting early adverse LV remodeling. Traditional LV measures outperformed LA strain and LACI in predicting adverse LV remodeling. This helps clinicians prioritize readily interpretable LV functional metrics over more novel LA-derived CMR parameters for early risk prediction after anterior STEMI.
Yosofi B, Zelis JM, Raafs A et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pre-perfusion coronary wedge pressure and microvascular obstruction in anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI): An analysis from the EUROICE study.
This EURO-ICE analysis investigated whether coronary wedge pressure (CWP) measured during balloon occlusion relates to microvascular obstruction (MVO) on cardiac magnetic resonance and to adverse remodeling in anterior STEMI patients. CWP during coronary occlusion provided additional insight into microvascular compromise that is not captured by post-reperfusion indices like index of microvascular resistance (IMR). The study supports CWP as a practical invasive marker to better phenotype microvascular injury early in STEMI, potentially improving prediction of LV remodeling and outcomes.
Butt H, van Beek K, Sajjad U et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Imaging, Biomarkers, and Device Risk
High prevalence of coxsackievirus B antibodies in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis: a retrospective cohort study.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated whether coxsackievirus B (CVB) antibody seropositivity is common in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and compared rates with external comparator cohorts. Patients with CS had a high prevalence of CVB antibodies, supporting an association between CVB exposure and CS. If validated prospectively, CVB serology could become an accessible biomarker to help identify patients with cardiac involvement earlier.
Donnelly KL, Wilmoth J, Osborne W et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Life-threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias in Cardiac Sarcoidosis with Implantable Devices: Incidence and Predictors in a UK Cohort.
This UK tertiary-center cohort study evaluated consecutive patients with cardiac sarcoidosis who received a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) between 2006 and 2024, stratifying them by the 2014 Heart Rhythm Society ICD indication categories (Class I, Class IIa, or Neither). The study found that sustained ventricular arrhythmias detected by devices occurred at clinically important rates and varied by guideline-based ICD indication category, with specific baseline clinical/imaging predictors associated with risk (details truncated in the abstract). These findings help refine risk stratification for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in cardiac sarcoidosis patients considered for ICD implantation.
Ahmed R, Paray NB, Azzu A et al. · Current problems in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Management and Outcomes of Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Insights From the Nationwide MYSTICS Registry.
This nationwide multicenter retrospective MYSTICS registry analysis characterized real-world management and outcomes in 2366 cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) patients, focusing on 1852 newly diagnosed between 2012 and 2021. Patients were stratified into definite CS, probable CS, presumed systemic sarcoidosis, and presumed isolated CS based on diagnostic criteria, and the study evaluated recurrence and other outcomes across these groups. The large-scale dataset is significant because it clarifies how CS is treated in practice and how diagnostic certainty relates to prognosis, addressing uncertainty in a rare disease.
Izumi C, Yoshikawa Y, Komuro I et al. · Circulation. Heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Atrial Cardiomyopathy & Atrial Arrhythmia Mechanisms
Right Atrial Cardiomyopathy Assessed by Late Gadolinium Enhancement Cardiac MRI Following Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.
In atrial fibrillation (AF) patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), this study used 3D late gadolinium enhancement cardiac MRI (LGE-CMR) to quantify right atrial (RA) tissue remodeling before and after PVI and related it to 1-year AF recurrence. RA LGE burden and distribution (including dense LGE and border-zone categories) changed after PVI and were associated with subsequent AF recurrence. This provides tissue-level imaging evidence that reverse RA remodeling after PVI can be tracked with LGE-CMR, potentially improving risk stratification for recurrence.
van Pouderoijen N, Hopman LHGA, Post M et al. · Heart rhythm · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Left Atrial Strain Impairment in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence through July 2026 on left atrial (LA) strain across three phases (as measured by speckle-tracking echocardiography or cardiac magnetic resonance) in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS). The key finding was that ESUS patients demonstrate impaired LA strain, consistent with atrial cardiomyopathy as a subclinical embolic substrate independent of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. This is clinically significant because LA strain could improve risk stratification and mechanistic understanding of ESUS using noninvasive imaging.
Thapa S, Shah S, Fnu P et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac Remodeling in Heart Failure & Cardiopulmonary Coupling
Physiological rather than pathological cardiac remodeling in olympic-style elite weightlifters: an imaging and biomarker study.
This cross-sectional imaging and biomarker study investigated whether long-term Olympic-style elite resistance training produces physiological rather than pathological cardiac remodeling in 13 elite male weightlifters versus 13 age-matched controls. Using echocardiography (longitudinal strain) and cardiac MRI (native T1, extracellular volume [ECV], and late gadolinium enhancement [LGE]), the weightlifters showed remodeling patterns consistent with physiological adaptation and not with maladaptive fibrosis. The results suggest that high afterload from resistance training may not necessarily translate into pathological myocardial fibrosis, informing how athletes should be monitored and interpreted on cardiac imaging.
Yargic MP, Akin S, Duzgun SA et al. · European journal of applied physiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Right ventricular-pulmonary arterial coupling in transfusion-dependent thalassemia: a cross-sectional cardiac MRI study.
This cross-sectional cardiac MRI study assessed right ventricle–pulmonary arterial coupling (RVPAc) in 1154 transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients from the E-MIOT project and compared findings with 167 matched healthy controls. RVPAc was associated with demographic/clinical variables and with cardiac MRI measures and heart failure status, indicating that impaired coupling reflects clinically relevant cardiopulmonary dysfunction in TDT. These data support RVPAc as a potentially useful CMR-derived marker for identifying TDT patients at higher risk of heart failure.
Meloni A, Saba L, Pistoia L et al. · European radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Regional Myocardial Tissue Characterization by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Is Associated With Heart Failure Development in Asymptomatic Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy.
This Circulation Reports study investigated whether CMR-derived regional myocardial tissue characterization is associated with subsequent heart failure in asymptomatic transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). Among 113 ATTR-CM patients (14 asymptomatic; mean age ~75 years; 79% male), 6 developed heart failure over a median follow-up of 770 days, and those who progressed had higher left ventricular mass index on echocardiography and worse CMR tissue metrics (native T1 and related parameters truncated). The findings suggest that CMR tissue characterization can identify asymptomatic ATTR-CM patients at higher risk for future heart failure, enabling earlier intervention.
Tsuruda T, Nakada H, Suiko Y et al. · Circulation reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Clinical Factors Related to Cardiac Conduction Disturbance in Patients With Wild-Type Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Undergoing Tafamidis Treatment.
This Circulation Reports study evaluated clinical factors associated with cardiac conduction disturbances in 50 patients with wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) undergoing tafamidis treatment. Patients had baseline CMR and were followed after starting tafamidis to assess changes in atrioventricular conduction disturbances (AVCD) and intraventricular conduction disturbances (IVCD), with CMR parameters analyzed for associations (results truncated). Scientifically and clinically, the study aims to clarify which baseline features predict conduction progression during tafamidis therapy, informing monitoring intensity and risk stratification.
Hamamoto K, Kitagawa T, Okamoto D et al. · Circulation reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Carbohydrate antigen 125 for predicting right ventricular dysfunction and right ventricular to pulmonary artery uncoupling in acute heart failure: a cardiac magnetic resonance study.
This retrospective single-center cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) study evaluated whether serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) predicts CMR-defined right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and right ventricular–pulmonary artery (RV-PA) uncoupling in 479 consecutive acute heart failure (AHF) patients. Higher CA125 levels were associated with the presence of CMR RVD (RV ejection fraction <45%) and RV-PA uncoupling (RV stroke volume/RV end-systolic volume <1), with discriminatory performance assessed by ROC analysis and multivariable logistic regression. If validated, CA125 could provide a readily available biomarker to flag patients likely to have RV impairment and worse hemodynamic coupling that are otherwise assessed with CMR.
Valero E, de la Espriella R, Miñana G et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and myocardial edema burden in Takotsubo syndrome: acute and long-term outcomes-insights from the EVOLUTION registry.
This EVOLUTION registry sub-analysis compared clinical and CMR characteristics and outcomes in Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) patients with versus without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), using CMR performed within 5 days of echocardiography. Patients with LVOTO (10.4% of 249 TTS patients; predominantly women, mean age ~70.6 years) had distinct CMR findings and worse in-hospital and long-term outcomes than those without LVOTO. These results support using early CMR-informed phenotyping to better risk-stratify TTS patients with LVOTO, potentially guiding monitoring and management intensity.
Cau R, Santoro F, Pontone G et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Sex differences in cardiac function and remodelling in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction across all stages of chronic kidney disease.
This retrospective cardiac MRI study examined sex differences in cardiac function and remodeling across all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF spectrum). Among 84 sex-matched CKD patients (stages 1–5) and 28 healthy sex-matched controls from the LGECKD study, comprehensive CMR measures were compared between females and males using MANCOVA with confounder adjustment. The findings are important for understanding sex-specific HFpEF remodeling trajectories in CKD, which could influence risk stratification and tailored management.
Kamieniarz P, Plietz AS, Urbach LV et al. · The British journal of radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Long-term cardiac remodeling after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement: a cardiac MRI study.
This prospective intra-individual study evaluated long-term cardiovascular effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement in patients with cirrhosis-induced portal hypertension using combined hepatic and cardiac MRI before and 1 year after TIPS. After TIPS, cardiac MRI with volumetric/functional assessment, strain analysis, T1/T2 mapping, myocardial edema assessment, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was used to characterize persistent remodeling over time. These findings are clinically significant because they define the magnitude and nature of subclinical myocardial changes after TIPS, informing cardiovascular risk monitoring in cirrhosis patients.
Vollbrecht TM, Mesropyan N, Chang J et al. · European radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Persistent long-term subclinical myocardial changes in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children revealed by cardiac magnetic resonance and galectin-3.
This study evaluated long-term myocardial structure and function in children after multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and two-dimensional echocardiography, alongside serum galectin-3 measurements. The key finding was that MIS-C survivors can show persistent subclinical myocardial changes on CMR, with galectin-3 used to explore correlations with ongoing inflammation or fibrosis. This is clinically important because it supports longer-term cardiac surveillance after MIS-C and suggests a potential biomarker link to subclinical myocardial injury.
Ov SK, Pilania RK, Semwal R et al. · World journal of clinical pediatrics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Post-Stroke Cardiac Complications (Brain–Heart Interaction)
Sex Differences in Cardiac Rhythm and Conduction Abnormalities After Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke.
This study evaluated sex differences in newly diagnosed cardiac rhythm and conduction abnormalities within 1 year after noncardioembolic acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in 673 patients without prior cardiac disease. Women and men differed in the incidence/pattern of post-stroke cardiac abnormalities detected by standardized cardiologic evaluation including 24-hour telemetry and echocardiography. The findings highlight sex-specific brain–heart interaction risk profiles after AIS, which could guide more tailored cardiac monitoring strategies.
Schmick A, Rohner MH, Gebhard C et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Valvular Disease in Specific Conditions (Amyloidosis/MVP/TOF/TR)
Effect of empagliflozin with or without carvedilol on tricuspid regurgitation and right ventricular remodeling: PROVE trial.
This randomized 2×2 factorial trial studied whether sustained-release carvedilol (carvedilol SR), empagliflozin, or their combination reduces right ventricular (RV) remodeling and functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) severity in 56 patients with significant functional TR. After 12 months, the primary outcome was the change in RV end-systolic volume index, with secondary endpoints assessing TR severity and related remodeling measures. If effective, this drug-combination strategy could break the TR–RV remodeling vicious cycle and provide a targeted medical alternative to procedural TR therapies.
Kim GY, Lim SM, Yang DH et al. · Journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Repaired tetralogy of Fallot across adulthood: from right ventricular remodelling to targeted intervention.
This review summarized the mechanisms and management of repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) across adulthood, focusing on how chronic pulmonary regurgitation and/or residual right ventricular outflow tract obstruction drive progressive RV dilatation, dysfunction, dyssynchrony, and fibrosis. It highlights contemporary surveillance and targeted interventions—especially multimodality imaging, pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), arrhythmia risk stratification, and aortopathy assessment—along with emerging pharmacological strategies. Clinically, the synthesis supports more precise long-term risk monitoring and earlier, mechanism-based intervention to reduce late heart failure and ventricular arrhythmia risk in the growing adult rTOF population.
Cienkowski K, Moll M, Cienkowska A et al. · Heart failure reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
VALVE DISEASES IN CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS: WHAT WE HAVE TO KNOW.
This review focused on valvular diseases in cardiac amyloidosis (CA), particularly the frequent coexistence of aortic stenosis (AS) with CA—most notably wild-type transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis. It highlights the clinical significance of this overlap, describing a synergistic interaction that can lead to disproportionate ventricular consequences. The significance is that it provides a practical framework for recognizing and managing valvular involvement in CA, where shared pathophysiology and frequent comorbidity can complicate diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Lisi DD, Salvo FD, Castro F et al. · Current problems in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Mitral valve prolapse: New clinical and scientific insights in 2026.
This 2026 review synthesized new clinical and scientific insights into mitral valve prolapse (MVP), contrasting Barlow’s disease versus fibroelastic deficiency and highlighting a malignant phenotype involving bileaflet prolapse, mitral annular disjunction (MAD), and myocardial fibrosis. It reports that this malignant MVP substrate is increasingly recognized as a driver of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, with multimodality imaging (including transthoracic/transesophageal echocardiography and additional approaches) used to characterize risk. Clinically, the review supports more targeted identification of high-risk MVP patients for arrhythmia prevention and informs ongoing mechanistic research into MVP-related sudden death.
Yamaguchi M, Madhyastha R, Furukawa K et al. · Journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiometabolic/Endocrine & Metabolic Drug Effects
Cardiovascular Effects of Chronic GIPR and GLP-1R Agonism in Lean and Diet-Induced Obese Mice: Sex Differences and Dose-Dependent Remodeling.
This preclinical study in lean and diet-induced obese male and female mice examined short-term cardiovascular effects of continuous infusion of a GIP receptor agonist (GIPR agonist) versus a GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1R agonist) at multiple doses (0.1–1.0 mg/kg/day) for one month. The key finding was that GIPR and GLP-1R agonism produced dose-dependent and sex-specific patterns of cardiac remodeling in these metabolic states. These results are significant because they clarify how targeting GIPR versus GLP-1R may differentially influence cardiovascular remodeling—information that could guide safer, more tailored cardiometabolic therapies.
Göktaş SŞ, Francisco A, Duarte JMN et al. · American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF INCRETIN RECEPTOR AGONISTS: BEYOND GLYCEMIC CONTROL.
This narrative review synthesized evidence on cardiovascular effects of incretin receptor agonists across three pharmacologic tiers—GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), dual GLP-1/GIP agonists, and unimolecular triple GLP-1/GIP/glucagon receptor agonists. Mediation analyses from major cardiovascular outcome trials suggest that glycaemic improvement accounts for less than ~15–20% of the reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events, with the remainder attributed to weight loss, lipid remodeling, blood pressure effects, systemic inflammation changes, and direct myocardial protection. The review highlights mechanistic pathways beyond glucose lowering that may explain cardiovascular benefit and inform future drug development and patient selection.
Ravic M, Srejovic IM, Milosavljevic I et al. · Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Infectious/Immune Triggers of Cardiac Inflammation (e.g., Viral Latency)
Cytomegalovirus Latency Fuels Inflammation Following Myocardial Infarction.
This experimental mouse study investigated how latent murine cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection alters cardiac immune cell dynamics at baseline and during post–myocardial infarction (MI) repair in C57BL/6J mice. Using spectral flow cytometry plus bulk and single-cell RNA/T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing, the study found that CMV latency fuels inflammation during the MI repair process. Scientifically, it supports a mechanistic link between CMV seropositivity and worse cardiovascular outcomes by identifying immune-driven inflammatory pathways that may impair cardiac healing.
Dapergola E, Šustić M, Ashour D et al. · Circulation research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM): Imaging, Genetics, and Prognosis
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: state of the art on diagnosis and current therapeutic approach.
This state-of-the-art review focused on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), emphasizing how modern cardiovascular imaging and genetic testing improve diagnosis, phenotypic characterization, and prognostic risk stratification. It synthesizes current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for a genetically heterogeneous condition with variable clinical outcomes ranging from asymptomatic disease to heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. The clinical significance is that it provides an up-to-date framework for integrating imaging and genetics to guide individualized management and follow-up in HCM.
La Franca E, Parisi F, Lucchino A et al. · Cardiovascular ultrasound · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Left Atrium Myocardial Remodeling and Prognostic Marker Derived from CMR Feature Tracking in Pediatric Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective study assessed left atrial (LA) myocardial remodeling in pediatric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature-tracking to derive LA strain parameters and relate them to adverse outcomes. In pediatric patients undergoing CMR from 2011–2020, LA strain derived from CMR feature tracking was evaluated as a prognostic marker for future events using Cox regression (full effect estimates truncated in the abstract). If validated, CMR-FT LA strain could improve early risk prediction in children with HCM before overt left ventricular dysfunction or clinical deterioration.
Chen X, Tang Y, Ma X et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Impact of hypertrophic pattern and obstruction on cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial strain and left atrioventricular coupling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a retrospective study.
This retrospective study assessed how hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) distribution patterns and obstruction affect myocardial strain and left atrioventricular (LA) coupling in 199 HCM patients using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking. The key finding was that different LVH patterns and the presence of obstruction were associated with distinct alterations in CMR-derived myocardial strain and LA coupling metrics. This is scientifically and clinically important because it supports CMR feature tracking as a noninvasive way to phenotype HCM severity and hemodynamic impact beyond standard morphology.
Li Y, Li Z, Chen S et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pleiotropic Phenotype of RYR2 Exon 3 Deletion: Biventricular Noncompaction and Malignant Arrhythmias.
This JACC Case Reports report described a 33-year-old woman with an RYR2 exon 3 deletion (E3DS) ryanodinopathy presenting with biventricular noncompaction and malignant arrhythmias. The key findings included premature ventricular contractions during pregnancy, sinus node dysfunction, nonsustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, postpartum persistent bradyarrhythmia, and electrophysiology-confirmed complete supranodal atrioventricular block with extensive right atrial low-voltage areas, with cardiac magnetic resonance confirming biventricular noncompaction. This is clinically significant because it expands the phenotype of RYR2 E3DS and underscores the need for early structural and electrophysiologic evaluation in patients with this genotype.
Faucher L, Cardi T, Fitouchi S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Environmental/Other Biomarkers & Methodological/AI/Engineering
The changing therapeutic landscape of small-cell lung cancer.
This narrative review summarized the evolving therapeutic landscape of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), an aggressive, highly proliferative malignancy that initially responds to chemotherapy but commonly relapses with refractory disease. It highlights how advances in SCLC biology—particularly identification of cell-surface proteins uniquely or differentially expressed in SCLC—are enabling multiple targeted therapeutic approaches with early evidence of efficacy. The significance is that it frames how mechanism-driven target discovery is reshaping treatment strategies beyond standard cytotoxic regimens for relapsed/refractory SCLC.
Ross JS, Hockemeyer KG, Redin E et al. · Lancet (London, England) · (2026) · 2 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Imaging features of right atrial lipoma on multimodality imaging: A case report.
This case report described multimodality imaging findings of a right atrial lipoma in a 53-year-old asymptomatic woman, initially detected on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at the junction of the superior vena cava and right atrium. The key finding was that the mass’s imaging characteristics across modalities supported the diagnosis of a right atrial lipoma despite nonspecific symptoms. Clinically, it underscores the diagnostic value of multimodality imaging for rare benign cardiac tumors with variable morphology.
Xie Q, Fang A, Chen X et al. · Medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
The Exciting Future of Cardiovascular Imaging.
This perspective article reviewed how cardiovascular imaging is advancing through improvements in hardware, reconstruction algorithms, and artificial intelligence across echocardiography, computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and nuclear imaging. The key finding is that these innovations collectively improve diagnostic accuracy, refine risk stratification, optimize therapy planning, and enable monitoring of treatment response, with AI increasingly supporting the workflow from acquisition planning to segmentation. Scientifically and clinically, it positions AI-enabled multimodality imaging as a driver of more precise, scalable cardiovascular care.
Gräni C, Bucciarelli-Ducci C, Dweck MR et al. · JACC. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Machine learning-assisted optimization of a BK7/Ag/As₂S₃/graphene surface plasmon resonance biosensor for high-sensitivity urine glucose detection.
This engineering study developed and theoretically optimized a multilayer BK7/Ag/As₂S₃/graphene surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor operating at 633 nm for high-sensitivity, non-invasive urine glucose detection. The key finding was that electromagnetic optimization combined with a Gradient Boosting Regressor (GBR) predictive framework improved biosensor performance for urine glucose sensing. This is significant because it addresses limitations of finger-prick glucose monitoring and enzyme instability by enabling a potentially more stable, high-sensitivity optical sensing approach.
Arun Kumar U, Alavudeen Basha A, Elshafie H et al. · Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Unmasking the Connection: Cardiac Arrest in Stiff Person Syndrome.
This case report described a man in his 30s with stiff person syndrome (SPS) who developed whole-body spasms, severe hypoxemic respiratory failure, and pulseless ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation during attempted extubation. The episode was accompanied by hyperthermia, shock, ST-segment depression, markedly elevated troponin, and transient severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, while coronary angiography and CT pulmonary angiography excluded obstructive coronary disease and pulmonary embolism. The report highlights a potentially life-threatening cardiac arrest mechanism in SPS and underscores the need for heightened peri-procedural monitoring and rapid evaluation of cardiac complications.
Sujanyal S, Alaws H, Helgeson SA · Therapeutic advances in pulmonary and critical care medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CORE: Suppressing Spurious Similarity via Confidence-Aware Prototypes for Few-Shot Medical Image Segmentation.
This paper proposes CORE, a confidence-aware prototype learning framework for few-shot medical image segmentation (FSMIS), designed to reduce false positives caused by spurious prototype-query similarity. CORE introduces confidence-aware handling of heterogeneous foreground reliability and improves query mask prediction to prevent background regions from being incorrectly matched to foreground prototypes. The method is significant because it targets two common failure modes in prototype-based few-shot segmentation, potentially improving robustness when labeled data are scarce.
Xu C, Li S, Wang H et al. · IEEE transactions on medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Baseline fdg pet/ct-derived tumor burden and host metabolic activity predict complete metabolic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ınvasive ductal breast cancer.
This retrospective study of 90 women with histologically confirmed invasive ductal breast cancer evaluated whether baseline FDG PET/CT tumor burden and host metabolic activity predict complete metabolic response (CMR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Baseline PET/CT metrics including metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and host-related ratios (e.g., brain-to-liver and bone marrow-to-liver), alongside inflammatory biomarkers and body composition measures, were assessed for association with post-NAC complete metabolic response. If confirmed, these imaging-derived and host metabolic markers could help personalize NAC decisions by identifying patients most likely to achieve CMR.
Cinar A, Senlik SD, Inanir A et al. · Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Nighttime light exposure and cardiac structure and function.
This population-based cohort study in 11,071 UK Biobank participants examined whether nighttime light exposure (estimated from wrist accelerometer light sensors) is associated with later cardiac structure and function measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) 3 years after baseline. Nighttime light exposure showed dose-response relationships with CMR phenotypes and was evaluated for associations with incident cardiovascular disease outcomes. The significance is that it links an environmental exposure to measurable subclinical cardiac remodeling on CMR, supporting potential public-health relevance for cardiovascular risk.
Dai J, Dai W, Heianza Y et al. · European heart journal · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Congenital/Structural Heart Disease (Including Rare Anomalies and Tumors)
Paradoxical Stroke via Persistent Levoatriocardinal Vein and Evaluation and Management Recommendations.
This JACC Case Reports article described an 80-year-old man with Parkinson disease, dementia, and prostate cancer who suffered a paradoxical stroke due to a persistent levoatriocardinal vein (LACV) producing a right-to-left shunt. After CT angiography showed left middle cerebral artery occlusion and endovascular thrombectomy was performed, brain MRI demonstrated acute bilateral infarcts across multiple territories, and echocardiography with agitated contrast supported an embolic source from the LACV (management recommendations truncated). The report is significant because it addresses a rare anatomic cause of paradoxical embolism and provides practical evaluation/management considerations in the absence of formal guidelines.
Tejan-Sie A, Rodriguez RT, Padgett L et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Disseminated HIV-Associated Burkitt Lymphoma With Cardiac and Presumed Central Nervous System Involvement.
This JACC Case Reports article described a 52-year-old man with HIV who had disseminated Burkitt lymphoma with cardiac involvement and presumed central nervous system involvement. Imaging identified a right atrial mass with invasion into the crux, with contrast echocardiography demonstrating vascularity and cardiac magnetic resonance confirming atrial and ventricular septal involvement (full staging details truncated). The case underscores the value of multimodal imaging—including contrast echocardiography in resource-limited settings—for diagnosing rare cardiac lymphoma manifestations in immunocompromised patients.
Tsai D, Trilesskaya M · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Optimisation of an Algorithm for Fetal Strain by CMR and its Use in Suspected Coarctation of the Aorta.
This fetal CMR optimization and diagnostic study assessed whether impaired fetal ventricular strain can be detected prenatally in fetuses with suspected coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and whether optimized CMR strain improves diagnostic accuracy. In 42 third-trimester fetuses scanned at 1.5 T with Doppler ultrasound gating, left and right ventricular strain were measured using feature tracking and endocardial shortening, with strain analysis optimized by adjusting contour settings. The work is clinically significant because it aims to reduce false positives and improve detection of true CoA by providing a more reliable fetal CMR strain assessment.
Fricke K, Piek M, Heiberg E et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
ALCAPA syndrome: a rare cause of sudden cardiac arrest in adulthood?-a case report.
This adult case report describes anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) presenting as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a 30-year-old white German woman. After successful defibrillation and stabilization, modern cardiac imaging was used to identify the rare adult ALCAPA anatomy responsible for myocardial ischemia and sudden death risk. The report is clinically significant because it highlights ALCAPA as a potentially reversible but easily missed cause of sudden cardiac arrest in adults, supporting early imaging and definitive management.
Arnoldy C, Bansmann PM · Journal of medical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac morphology in children at 2 and 10 years of age after congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair: a comparative MRI-based analysis of ECMO and non-ECMO patients.
This retrospective MRI-based comparative study evaluated cardiac morphology in 57 children after congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) repair, comparing those treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO; n=31) versus non-ECMO patients (n=26) at 2 and 10 years. The study assessed morphological parameters to determine differences between groups and their temporal relationship with later pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) development. The significance is that it identifies long-term cardiac structural signatures after CDH repair that may help predict or monitor PAH risk in ECMO-exposed children.
Jawhar S, Thater G, Appelhaus S et al. · European radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Atypical Atrial Flutter Unveiling Cor Triatriatum Sinister in a Stable Adult.
This JACC Case Reports report described a 64-year-old man with atypical atrial flutter in whom transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) were used to diagnose cor triatriatum sinister (CTS). The key finding was that CTS was incidentally identified as a left atrial membrane on TEE and confirmed as nonobstructive on CMR. This is clinically significant because it demonstrates multimodality imaging can uncover rare congenital atrial anatomy that may underlie atrial arrhythmias and guide cardioversion and anticoagulation decisions.
Panjiyar B, Herrera AJ, Hermann J et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Topsy-Turvy Heart: Multimodality Prenatal and Postnatal Imaging for Clinical Management.
This JACC Case Reports report presented a case of prenatal diagnosis of “topsy-turvy heart” with an aortopulmonary window using fetal echocardiography and fetal cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Immediately after birth, the newborn developed severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, reflecting the complex associated anatomy suspected prenatally. The significance is that combined fetal imaging modalities can improve pre-delivery characterization of rare congenital cardiac anatomy and anticipate associated airway and postnatal management challenges.
Meyer D, Geiger J, Weber R et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Long-Term Follow-Up With Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in 2 Patients With Isolated Left Ventricular Apical Hypoplasia.
This case report studied two patients with isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia followed longitudinally using serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging from childhood into early adulthood. Over more than a decade, both patients demonstrated stable ventricular morphology on long-term CMR follow-up. The scientific significance is that it provides rare long-term natural history data for this congenital anomaly and supports CMR as a useful tool for monitoring disease stability.
Isenia C, Hassing HC, Constantinescu AA et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CMR for Arrhythmia Substrate & Ablation Planning
Speckle tracking echocardiography predicts electroanatomical scar in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy undergoing catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia.
This prospective study in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy undergoing catheter ablation for recurrent ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) tested whether speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) longitudinal strain (LS), analyzed segment- and layer-specifically, can predict electroanatomical scar. STE-derived LS patterns were matched to electroanatomical mapping data (using an 18-segment model) to identify strain features that correspond to scar presence. If reproducible, STE could offer a CMR-scar surrogate when cardiac magnetic resonance fibrosis imaging is not feasible, improving substrate assessment for VA ablation planning.
Gabrielli FA, Bencardino G, Ballacci F et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Exercise-Provoked Wide-Complex Tachycardia and Extreme Duke Score: Orthodromic Reciprocating Tachycardia Unmasked by Electrophysiology Study.
This case report studied a 44-year-old man who developed exercise-provoked sustained wide-complex tachycardia with left bundle branch block morphology during stress-test recovery. Electrophysiology study revealed orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia mediated by a concealed left posterior accessory pathway, unmasking a supraventricular mechanism despite a high Duke Treadmill Score (-25.3) and troponin elevation. The finding is clinically significant because it shows that aberrant supraventricular tachycardia can mimic ventricular tachycardia during exercise testing, changing diagnostic and management implications.
Ray N, Petty A, Money D et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Inflammatory Pericardial Disease & Constrictive Physiology
Constrictive Pericarditis and Bilateral Pleural Effusions Unmasked in an HLA-B27 Positive Patient.
This case report studied a 40-year-old HLA-B27–positive man presenting with progressive dyspnea, fevers, and cough, initially diagnosed with acute pericarditis that progressed to constrictive pericarditis with bilateral pleural effusions. After failure of medical therapy and an otherwise unremarkable workup, the patient underwent radical pericardiectomy with symptom resolution. The clinical significance is that it suggests HLA-B27–associated inflammatory disease may be a potential etiology for constrictive pericarditis, informing diagnostic consideration and treatment planning.
Villalonga M, Al-Dalakta A, El Roumi J et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Generated automatically on September 16, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published September 09, 2026 – September 16, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.