The presence and extent of coronary artery disease detected during coronary CT angiography (CCTA) are strong, independent predictors of cardiovascular events, according to a meta-analysis published June 14 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In addition, the meta-analysis provided data to direct which findings should be included in standard CCTA reports.

The cardiovascular monitoring and diagnostic (CMD) devices market will reach $1.2 billion in six years, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5 percent from 2010 to 2017, based on a report by Market Research, titled Cardiovascular Monitoring and Diagnostic Device Global Pipeline Analysis, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecasts to 2017."

The first study of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) screening in an asymptomatic population linked the study with increased aspirin and statin use at 90 days and 18 months and increased invasive testing without any difference in events at 18 months, according to results published online May 23 in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Cardiac CT offers physicians strong predictions of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in ED patients presenting with chest pain, supplementing clinical risk scores and offering a two-year MACE-free warranty period in the absence of coronary artery disease (CAD), according to the two-year outcomes of the ROMICAT study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Heart Check America has closed following an investigation by the X-ray Certification Unit of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Undergoing a coronary angiogram imaging exam puts patients at a higher risk for development of kidney damage, but the risk may be higher for woman than men, according to research presented April 27 at the National Kidney Foundation annual meeting in Las Vegas.

Published effective radiation dose values may be underestimated and current methods of dose assessment may not be suitable for cardiac CT angiography (CCTA) acquisitions, according to a multicenter trial published in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. The researchers also found that the use of protocols and newer technologies can help reduce dose.

Cardiovascular MRI yields a high number of noncardiac findings, more than one for every two cases, with 5 percent of these findings leading to major changes in patient management, according to a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.