Men's risk for heart attacks may start increasing in their mid-30s, about seven years earlier than women's, a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found. The 30-year study, which tracked more than 5,100 adults, found that men reached a 5% incidence of cardiovascular disease by age 50, while women reached that threshold by 57. The study suggests that screening for heart disease should begin earlier to identify risk factors and implement preventive strategies.

Catalyst MedTech's cardiology portfolio—from the Digirad Cardius to the X-ACT+ with Attenuation Correction—helps cardiology teams expand access and deliver imaging that's precise, personalized, and optimized for outcomes.

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Research underscores that a plant-based diet can significantly benefit heart health. The Portfolio diet, which emphasizes cholesterol-lowering foods like nuts, soy proteins, and plant sterols, has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. Moderate adherence to this diet can lower mortality rates from cardiovascular conditions.

Another analysis of the ADDICT-ICCU study, published in JACC: Advances, found that recreational drug use was linked to an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events within a year of being diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. The study included adults admitted to intensive cardiac care units. It found the link only among patients who used recreational drugs and experienced ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

A study in Switzerland found about half of smokers who had heart attacks quit smoking. Smoking cessation was more likely among patients who had longer hospital stays and those who participated in cardiac rehabilitation programs. The findings were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

The US House narrowly passed a funding agreement negotiated by President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats, putting an end to the partial government shutdown. The measure funds most federal agencies through the end of September but extends Department of Homeland Security funding only until Feb. 13, leaving the door open to renewed disputes over immigration enforcement.

Medicare has begun requiring prior authorization for 17 services in New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and Washington as part of the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model. The new process, which began Jan. 1, aims to reduce fraud and waste by using technologies such as machine learning and AI to streamline evaluations.

Since publication of ASNC’s new cardiac PET and myocardial blood flow (MBF) quantification recommendations, it's more important than ever for cardiac imaging professionals to learn how to perform, process, interpret, and report PET MPI and myocardial blood flow. Technologists, don’t delay – sign up for the Feb. 21-22 Cardiac PET Technologist Virtual Workshop, which covers PET physics and instrumentation, technical knowledge and dilemmas, protocols, patient preparation, quality control, how to troubleshoot artifacts, and more. Physicians, ASNC’s case-based Cardiac PET Intensive Workshop will be held virtually May 2-3. CHOOSE YOUR WORKSHOP.

Excitement is building around the value of myocardial blood flow (MBF) as a signal for understanding ischemic heart disease and informing clinical decision-making. ASNC offers a variety of guidance documents and tools to help – the Practical Guide published in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, the handy Practice Points and Case Compendium, a downloadable poster, and OnDemand educational programs including the Cardiac PET Curriculum (2nd ed.) and Cardiac PET Perfusion Essentials. ASNC has MBF tools for every member of your team! GET STARTED.