Although post-imaging use of cardiac catheterization and medical therapy increased in proportion to the degree of abnormality findings, noninvasive testing had only a modest impact on clinical management of patients referred for clinical testing, according to the SPARC trial published in the Jan. 31 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
A secondary analysis of patients with calcium scores of 600 or greater confirmed that pretest probability for coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary calcium scoring are important factors in the effectiveness of CT angiography (CTA) to exclude or confirm the presence of obstructive CAD, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The results showed that CTA should not be extended to patients with substantial coronary calcification, according to an accompanying editorial comment.
Written by Kaitlyn Dmyterko
While the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC’s) overall goal to scrap the government’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula is commendable, most say the commission is going about it the wrong way and have asked MedPAC to rethink its proposal. A MedPAC solution, proposal in September, was recommended by members in a 15-2 vote Oct. 6; however, most say the plan needs reworking, particularly because the proposal to overturn SGR is laced with long-term freezes and cuts to physician payments.
A study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that, in emergency department (ED) patients experiencing low-risk, acute chest pain, the use of early coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is a more rapid and cost-efficient test than rest-stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). An editorial in the same issue of the journal, while acknowledging the study’s conclusions in some cases, stressed that there are many factors that could make other tests besides CCTA more beneficial.
The Delaware Insurance Commissioner has ordered Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware to adopt the American College of Cardiology’s FOCUS program, based on national medical society-developed appropriate use criteria.
Written by Kaitlyn Dmyterko
DENVER—With the “explosive growth” of cardiovascular imaging, the focus must now center on improving quality and reducing radiation exposure, and appropriate use criteria (AUC) can help, Robert C. Hendel, MD, director of cardiac imaging and outpatient services at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, said during a presentation Sept. 10 at the 16th annual American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) scientific sessions.
Written by Kaitylyn Dymterko
Using both PET and SPECT may have the potential to provide clinically useful data to enable better stratification and favorable treatments for heart failure patients.
Written by Leslee J. Shaw, PhD, FASNC
The 16th annual scientific session of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), Sept. 8-11, brings together scientists, clinicians and industry to establish and discuss optimal standards of imaging care.
In addition to avoiding exposure to ionizing radiation, stress cardiac MR (CMR) myocardial perfusion imaging is an effective and robust risk-stratifying tool for patients of either sex presenting with possible ischemia, according to a study in the August issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Myocardial flow reserve quantified using rubidium-82 (82Rb) PET predicts hard cardiac events and major adverse cardiac events independent of the summed stress score and other parameters, according to research published Aug. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Therefore, the researchers recommended that routine assessment of 82Rb PET-quantified myocardial flow reserve could improve risk stratification for patients being investigated for ischemia.
Written by Justine Cadet
The private practice of cardiology has been “under assault” since well before the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) due to greater reimbursement cuts in this setting, causing a push toward hospital employment, according to a May 24 editorial in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. However, author Alexander A. Stratienko, MD, told Cardiovascular Business that the current model of integration should not have to equate to hospital employment.
The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology has appointed Kathleen B. Flood as its Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2011.
The Delaware Department of Insurance has reported that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware violated state law by inappropriately denying authorization for cardiac nuclear imaging exams, part of the payor’s policy aimed at driving down costs.
NEW ORLEANS—The presence of calcium obtained during PET perfusion imaging enhances risk stratification for future cardiovascular events in patients with abnormal perfusion studies irrespective of the degree of ischemia, according to a scientific poster presented April 3 at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific sessions.
NEW ORLEANS—ACC tackled tough questions associated with the use of integrated cardiovascular imaging and suggested that demonstrating improved patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness is quite complex but absolutely necessary. The specialty of cardiology needs to embrace randomized controlled trials to delineate the value of and roles for cardiac imaging modalities, according to a panel of experts in an Integrated Imaging Spotlight session held Sunday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
Researchers suggested links between cardiac CT triage and three key benefits—fewer invasive catheterizations, improved survival and reduced costs—in a simulation model of the clinical and economic outcomes of low-risk patients with acute chest pain in the emergency department, according to a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Although coronary CT angiography (CTA) can be employed to stratify risk and expedite the work-up of chest pain patients, its utilization dropped in 2008, and the exam may be severely underutilized, according to a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. The authors reported that SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging was used 44 times as often as coronary CTA.
Positron will be introducing PosiRx, a radiopharmaceutical system that automates the elution, preparation and dispensing processes for molecular imaging radiopharmaceuticals.
Written by C.P. Kaiser
SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is a well-validated noninvasive test to determine if coronary artery disease (CAD) is the cause of a patient’s chest pain. While SPECT will continue to play a role in this patient population, other tests are helping to fill in the gaps in identifying those at risk of cardiac events.
FDG-PET measurements of metabolic activity within periodontal tissue correlate with macrophage infiltration within carotid plaques, which researchers said provides “direct evidence for an association between periodontal disease and atherosclerotic inflammation.” The study was published in the Feb. 22 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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