Clinical Highlights From the American College of Cardiology's 2024 Scientific Session.

This Medical News article is an interview with Douglas Drachman, MD, an interventional cardiologist and chair of the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting.

Development and evolution of nuclear cardiology and cardiac PET in Canada.

Gated radionuclide angiography and myocardial perfusion imaging were developed in the United States and Europe in the 1970's and soon adopted in Canadian centers. Much of the early development of nuclear cardiology in Canada was in Toronto, Ontario and was quickly followed by new programs across the country. Clinical research in Canada contributed to the further development of nuclear cardiology and cardiac PET. The Canadian Nuclear Cardiology Society (CNCS) was formed in 1995 and became the Canadian Society of Cardiovascular Nuclear and CT Imaging (CNCT) in 2014. The CNCS had a major role in education and advocacy for cardiovascular nuclear medicine testing. The CNCS established the Dr Robert Burns Lecture and CNCT named the Canadian Society of Cardiovascular Nuclear and CT Imaging Annual Achievement Award for Dr Michael Freeman in memoriam of these two outstanding Canadian leaders in nuclear cardiology. The future of nuclear cardiology in Canada is exciting with the expanding use of SPECT imaging to include Tc-99m-pyrophosphate for diagnosis of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis and the ongoing introduction of cardiac PET imaging.

From a laboratory to the wearables: a review on history and evolution of electrocardiogram / Del laboratorio a la práctica: una revisión sobre la historia y evolución del electrocardiograma

The development of electrocardiography, one of the top scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century, occurred in the field of cardiology. The history of the ECG began long before its invention, with the advent of the study of electricity in the medical field. The idea of electrophysiology and Waller's initial recording of the ‘electrogram’ encouraged Willem Einthoven to develop new string galvanometers and turn this remarkable physiologic occurrence into a vital clinical recording tool. It has progressed from Einthoven's innovation to wearable technology. In the first part of the 20th century, a number of inventive people achieved a remarkable succession of discoveries and advancements that led to the development of the 12-lead ECG as we know it today. It went further than that. The evolution of science and technology over the years has allowed for continual development in terms of usefulness, ranging from five operators to one operator meant to record the ECG trace, and mobility, ranging from around 300 Kg to roughly around 1 Kg. Electrocardiographs in minimized form now exist thanks to the modern era of digitalization. We will go over the significant processes in the development of the ECG in this article. (AU)

El desarrollo de la electrocardiografía, uno de los principales avances científicos del siglo XX, se produjo en el campo de la cardiología. La historia del ECG comenzó mucho antes de su invención, con el advenimiento del estudio de la electricidad en el campo médico. La idea de la electrofisiología y el registro inicial del "electrograma" de Waller animó a Willem Einthoven a desarrollar nuevos galvanómetros de hilo y convertir este acontecimiento fisiológico notable en una herramienta de registro clínico vital. Ha progresado desde la innovación de Einthoven hasta la tecnología portátil. En la primera parte del siglo XX, varias personas ingeniosas lograron una notable sucesión de descubrimientos y avances que condujeron al desarrollo del ECG de 12 derivaciones tal como lo conocemos hoy. Fue más allá que eso. La evolución de la ciencia y la tecnología a lo largo de los años ha permitido un desarrollo continuo en términos de utilidad, que va desde cinco operadores a un operador destinado a registrar el trazo de ECG, y la movilidad, que va desde alrededor de 300 kg hasta aproximadamente 1 kg. Los electrocardiógrafos en forma minimizada ahora existen gracias a la era moderna de la digitalización. Repasaremos los procesos significativos en el desarrollo del ECG en este artículo. (AU)

C. Richard Conti and Chinese cardiology 1989-2022.

The death of C. Richard Conti, MD, MACC in February 2022 marked the passing of a global leader in cardiology who played a pivotal role in the history of the American College of Cardiology and the College's outreach to the People's Republic of China.

Pulmonary Circulation Discovery Before Ibn Nafis-Ancient Persian and Greek Theories: A Narrative Review.

Importance: The recognition of the pulmonary circulation is a complex evolution in medical history and draws on theories across eras and cultures. Observations: This narrative review summarizes evidence suggesting that the recognition of pulmonary circulation is older than the time of Ibn Nafis. The theory of pulmonary circulation originated in ancient Persia (ad 224-637), was overshadowed by Greek theory from the 11th century, and reestablished by Ibn Nafis in the 13th century. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this review may help contextualize the story of the discovery of pulmonary circulation in ancient Persian and Greek theories before Ibn Nafis.