In a development that researchers say could quell concerns about the value of costly CT scans to diagnose coronary artery blockages, the results from the CorE-64 study were published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results confirm that 64-slice CT scans can correctly identify people with major blood vessel disease and that they are nearly as accurate as invasive coronary angiography. The initial findings from CorE-64 were presented at the 2007 annual American Heart Associations (AHA) Scientific Sessions last November. The results released this week reflect the studys updated data.

Lumedx, a provider of integrated cardiovascular imaging and information systems, has introduced the latest version of its CardioGate interface management solution.

ScImage has expanded its agreement with Carestream Health for a joint research and development initiative to develop a cardiology information solution that Carestreams sales representatives can begin selling in Europe by mid-2009.

In patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction, dobutamine stress testing is a useful diagnostic tool to evaluate decreased myocardial contractile reserve, according to a study in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging.

CardioComm Solutions has executed a renewable four-year North American software licensing agreement with GE Healthcare focusing on cardiac arrhythmia management.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) tests commonly given to people with suspected angina to predict the likelihood future of heart disease have limited accuracy, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in the British Medical Journal.

The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has issued a consensus statement, supporting the use of contrast agents used to enhance echocardiogram images, and providing a guide for physicians who may be hesitant to use the contrast agents following a 2007 FDA black-box warning. The statement was published in the November issue of Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography.

Arlington Medical Resources (AMR), which provides market data for the pharmaceutical and diagnostic imaging industries, has reported that Lantheus Medical Imagings Cardiolite had 15 percent more market share than GE Healthcares Myoview for September.