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E-Newsletter • December 2025 |
Editor's E-Note
Cardiac CT was a hot topic at RSNA, and this month we’re highlighting a study that used cardiac CT to study the effect of air pollution on heart health. Among the findings, even small increases in air pollution can have measureable effects.
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Enjoy the newsletter, and from everyone at Radiology Today, have a happy and peaceful holiday season. See you in 2026.
— Dave Yeager, editor |
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| In This E-Newsletter
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Air Pollution Linked to More Severe Heart Disease
Long-term exposure to common air pollutants is associated with more advanced coronary artery disease—with notable differences between women and men—according to a large-scale study of more than 11,000 adults presented at the annual RSNA meeting. The findings show that even levels of pollution below or near regulatory standards and typical urban exposures are associated with early signs of heart disease—often before symptoms appear—and underscore the importance of improving air quality to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
Air pollution is a pressing global health issue, contributing to an estimated 2.46 million cardiovascular deaths in 2021, according to a study based on Global Burden of Disease data. It is one of the greatest environmental risks to health and plays a major role in causing heart attacks and stroke, according to the World Health Organization.
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For the retrospective study, cardiac CT was used to evaluate the relationship between long-term exposures to two common pollutants found in urban air, ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). PM2.5 sources include vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and wildfire smoke, and at about 30 times smaller than a human hair, these tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. NO2 is a harmful gas produced mainly by burning fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants, and industrial processes.
“Even at low exposure levels, air pollution is associated with more plaque in the coronary arteries,” says Felipe Castillo Aravena, MD, study lead author and cardiothoracic imaging fellow in the department of medical imaging at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and University Health Network (UHN). “Overall, higher long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with more coronary artery disease on cardiac CT in both women and men. In women, long-term exposure to fine particulate matter was linked to higher calcium scores and more severe narrowing of the arteries. In men, higher long-term exposure to fine particulate matter was associated with higher calcium scores and higher plaque burden.”
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Radiation Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Heart Rhythm Disorder
A study comparing sterotactic radiation with repeat catheter ablations found that radiation controlled ventricular tachycardia with fewer complications.
X-Ray Plates From 1896 Offer a Peek at History
A pair of X-ray plates from 1896 have returned to the University of Pennsylvania, where they were created. The plates are some of the earliest examples of X-ray imaging.
‘Beer Belly’ Linked to Harmful Heart Structure Changes
If you need another reason to hit the gym, a recent study found that abdominal obesity, commonly referred to as beer belly and identified as a high waist-to-hip ratio, was associated with thickening of the heart muscle and smaller heart chamber volumes, particularly in men. The changes were identified with cardiac MRI and could be a sign of early heart stress before symptoms or diagnosable disease appear.
New PET Scanner Redefines Brain Imaging
A new type of PET scanner, the NeuroEXPLORER, is opening new avenues for brain research at the Yale Positron Emission Tomography Center. The new scanner boasts a 10-fold increase in sensitivity and more than two times the spatial resolution of the previous top scanner. |
“Contrast agents are necessary for effective imaging, but they don’t disappear after use. Iodine and gadolinium are nonrenewable resources that can enter wastewater and accumulate in rivers, oceans, and even drinking water. Quantifying which imaging exams use the most contrast helps us innovate thoughtful, practical contrast stewardship strategies to ensure patients continue to receive safe and high-quality imaging care.”
— Florence Doo, MD, MA, director of innovation and assistant professor at the University of Maryland Medical Intelligent Imaging Center in the department of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, faculty at the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing, and lead author of a study on the environmental footprint of medical imaging contrast agents |
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COVER STORY
Remote Control
Staff shortages and high demand are stretching hospitals’ and imaging centers’ ability to provide MRI exams. To meet this need, more providers are exploring remote MRI imaging to fill the gaps.
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Osteoarthritis can cause debilitating knee pain, and current treatments are less than ideal. A minimally invasive procedure is showing potential not only for treating symptoms but also for addressing the underlying disease.
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