Magnetic resonance imaging in heart failure, including coronary imaging: numbers, facts, and challenges

Abstract

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major risk factor for the incidence and progression of heart failure (HF). HF is characterized by a substantial morbidity and mortality and its lifetime risk is estimated at approximately 20% for men and women. As patients are in most cases identified only after developing overt clinical symptoms, detecting early stages of CAD and HF is of paramount importance. Due to its non‐invasiveness, excellent soft‐tissue contrast, high spatial resolution, and multiparametric nature, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has emerged as a promising radiation‐free technique to assess a wide range of cardiovascular diseases such as CAD or HF, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of myocardial anatomy, regional and global function, and viability with the additional benefit of in vivo tissue characterization. CMR has the potential to enhance our understanding of coronary atherosclerosis and the aetiology of HF on functional and biological levels, to identify patients at risk for CAD or HF, and to enable individualized patient management and improved outcomes. Even though larger‐scale studies on the different applications of CMR for the assessment of heart failure are scarce, recent research highlighted new possible clinical applications for CMR in the evaluation of CAD and HF.

The heart failure specialists of tomorrow: a network for young cardiovascular scientists and clinicians

“…It is a complex syndrome with various aetiologies and different clinical presentations. Staying up-to-date on the most appropriate diagnostic strategies and risk stratification tools 4,5 , as well as a comprehensive assessment of the associated comorbidities are crucial for the successful management of HF patients. 6,7 HF management should include a close collaboration between members of a multidisciplinary team combined with meaningful interaction with…”

Evaluation of left ventricular function in patients with acute ischaemic stroke using cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

“…Cardiovascular MRI is a radiation‐free, non‐invasive technique that offers excellent tissue contrast and does not rely on an acoustic window 13 . It is a promising diagnostic alternative for the evaluation of cardiac function in patients with AIS 12,14 .…”

“…[10][11][12] Cardiovascular MRI is a radiation-free, non-invasive technique that offers excellent tissue contrast and does not rely on an acoustic window. 13 It is a promising diagnostic alternative for the evaluation of cardiac function in patients with AIS. 12,14 To our knowledge, there are no data available on systolic and diastolic function assessed by CMR in patients with AIS.…”