Get ready for the first patient-focused, multimodality imaging event: that’s EACVI 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
Covering imaging techniques essential for the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease including echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), nuclear cardiology and cardiac computed tomography (CT). The congress will be held 10 to 12 May at the Fira Gran Via, Hall 8, in Barcelona, Spain. Explore the scientific programme.
Novel research will be presented in the late breaking science presentations and hundreds of scientific abstracts. Among them: potential new treatments for long COVID and much, much more.
Scientific sessions will showcase cutting-edge information on the use of cardiac imaging and explore new and upcoming technologies. Don’t miss the session devoted to the future of echocardiography, focussing on innovations, opportunities and challenges.1 Including robotic imaging, fusion imaging and artificial intelligence (AI). Professor Steffen Petersen, scientific programme chair, said: “Robot-assisted echocardiography is an exciting novelty that enables primary healthcare providers and smaller hospitals to access specialised services. This may help to reduce waiting times and identify which patients need consultations with cardiologists. In addition, it could be a solution for low- and middle-income countries where cardiac facilities are not easily accessible to the whole population.”
Fusion imaging is a technological advance that combines two imaging methods. Data from echocardiography, cardiac CT or CMR are integrated with fluoroscopy, which uses X-rays to create a live video of the heart. “Fusion imaging has the potential to revolutionise the field of interventional cardiology,” said Professor Petersen. “Evidence suggests that this state-of-the art technique can reduce procedure time, radiation dose and contrast dye use for many interventions, for example in heart valves and congenital heart disease.”
An entire session is dedicated to AI in cardiovascular imaging including echocardiography, CMR, cardiac CT and nuclear cardiology.2 “Time-consuming image analysis can now be tackled with AI, enabling quicker diagnosis and freeing up physicians to focus on tasks requiring human intelligence,” said Professor Petersen. “This should improve patient-physician relationships, the quality of healthcare delivery and access to healthcare.”
Men are from Mars, women are from Venus: stay tuned for this session on sex differences in imaging cardiovascular disease.3 Professor Petersen said: “It is increasingly recognised that women and men need different diagnostic tests. Conventional testing leads to underdiagnosis in women with conditions such as myocardial ischaemia, where blood flow to the heart is reduced, increasing the risk of a heart attack. This is a hot area of research and in this session experts will present the latest findings on sex differences in heart valve disease and atherosclerosis.”
Not to miss: new applications in CMR,4 such as fingerprinting, which combines different types of CMR images to obtain a personalised model of the heart. “This emerging technique could help us to more effectively diagnose and treat patents,” said Professor Petersen. “Developments in CMR are moving swiftly. Another technique, called blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) CMR, permits the non-invasive assessment of tissue oxygenation without gadolinium contrast dye. This will be particularly useful in assessing patients with suspected ischaemia.”
Cinematic rendering, holography and 3D printing are groundbreaking advances for cardiac CT in children.5 Professor Petersen said: “Images from multiple techniques including 3D echocardiography, CT and MRI can be used to create 3D printed personalised heart models. In the future we may also see more use of virtual reality and holography to understand the anatomy and guide treatment.”
Also on the agenda: hear how cardiac imaging can be used to prevent heart damage caused by anti-cancer treatment.6 Plus: improving prediction and prevention of sudden cardiac death in patients with ischaemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy and heart valve disease,7 and in athletes with structural or electrical abnormalities in the heart.8
The congress theme is “Be at the heart of multimodality imaging”. Professor Petersen said: “Combining imaging methods gives a comprehensive picture of each patient and helps clinicians to make an early, accurate diagnosis and improve treatment. The theme is an invitation to health professionals, scientists and journalists to join us and ‘be’ at the heart of multimodality imaging.”
Register as press now for the top event in cardiac imaging.
ENDS
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.