At the SNMMI 2026 meeting, ASNC Past President Dr. Mouaz Al-Mallah highlighted the expanding role of cardiac PET imaging in diagnosing coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions while emphasizing the promise of new radiotracers to broaden access to advanced imaging. He also discussed hybrid imaging and AI technologies that could expand the availability and clinical impact of cardiac imaging.

The study published in JAMA Network Open reveals that low-dose aspirin, when started at the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis, significantly reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events at both one and three years. This effect is attributed to aspirin's role in preventing blood clots, which are more likely in the inflamed blood vessels of GCA patients, underscoring its potential as a preventive measure against cardiovascular complications.

A study in Nature Mental Health found that psychotropic medications are associated with a 5.42% increase in BMI and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, especially among individuals with a high polygenic score for BMI and unhealthy lifestyles. The research, involving almost 497,000 participants from the UK Biobank, indicated that those with psychiatric diagnoses did not have an increased risk of CVD when using psychotropic medications compared with nonuse.

Up to 40% of patients with heart failure could benefit from therapies targeting inflammation, according to a study presented at the European Atherosclerosis Society Congress. Based on data from the global POSEIDON study, high inflammatory risk, indicated by elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, is linked to severe heart failure, obesity and kidney disease.

The Trump administration has issued guidance on Medicaid work requirements taking effect Jan. 1, 2027, exempting pregnant women, parents of young children, veterans with disabilities and those who are medically frail. States will have discretion in determining qualifying medical conditions. Initially, recipients can self-attest to exemptions, but states must verify claims by 2028. Under the requirements, an estimated 5 million people are expected to lose coverage by 2034, primarily because of administrative hurdles.

A Trump administration plan to address the backlog of surprise billing disputes includes reducing the administrative fee for arbitration to $15 from $115 and expanding the types of services that can be grouped together in disputes. However, analysts predict these changes could increase the number of disputes rather than reduce the backlog, potentially benefiting providers in specialties such as radiology, anesthesiology, pathology and laboratory services.

The House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee has passed legislation that would significantly raise the threshold at which the budget-neutrality requirement kicks in, thereby preventing forced downward payment adjustments in any given year, stabilizing the conversion factor, and protecting physicians from drastic reimbursement swings. H.R. 8163, the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act, would also help fix issues with the Medicare physician fee schedule that resulted in a 33% decline in reimbursement since 2001. ASNC will continue advocating fiercely for this legislation and asks you to add your voice to the effort. Use the template in ASNC’s Action Center to tell Congress to SUPPORT H.R. 8163.

At ICNC2026, early-career researchers vied for recognition and cash prizes at the first Avijit Lahiri Young Investigator Awards Competition. Maria Alwan, MD, of Houston Methodist Hospital, won first place for her work, Predictive Value of PET-Derived Myocardial Flow Reserve for New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: A Two-Center Study. Second and third places went to George Benjamin Collins, MBBS, MRCP, PhD, and Alaaeddine El Ghazawi, MD, respectively. LEARN MORE.