Welcome to Cardiology Today – Recorded January 13, 2026. This episode summarizes 5 key cardiology studies on topics like Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy and Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia. Key takeaway: EMW Outperforms QTc for Arrhythmia Risk..

Article Links:

Article 1: Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence in Heart Failure: The Premise and the Promise. (Journal of cardiac failure)

Article 2: Identification of Heart Transplant Rejection Subtypes With Circulating MicroRNAs. (Circulation. Heart failure)

Article 3: External validation of an explainable electrocardiogram-only deep learning algorithm for prediction of response after cardiac resynchronization therapy. (Heart rhythm)

Article 4: Temporal Variability of the Electromechanical Window in Long-QT Syndrome and Drug-Induced QT Prolongation: Value for Enhanced Arrhythmia-Risk Assessment. (Heart rhythm)

Article 5: Reevaluating Internal Thoracic Artery Use in Octogenarians Undergoing Multivessel Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. (The Canadian journal of cardiology)

Full episode page: https://podcast.explainheart.com/podcast/emw-outperforms-qtc-for-arrhythmia-risk-01-13-26/

Journal: Journal of cardiac failure

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41525972

Summary: Heart failure care shows inconsistent outcomes with delayed recognition of clinical deterioration. Traditional artificial intelligence operates at a population level, proving unable to keep pace with the rapidly shifting physiological states in heart failure. Digital twin technology is described as a continuously calibrated, mechanistically grounded computational replica. This approach represents a decisive shift for managing individual heart failure patients.

Journal: Circulation. Heart failure

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41521923

Summary: Circulating microRNAs are promising biomarkers for acute cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplantation. This five-center, prospective, longitudinal cohort study, GRAfT, assessed the characteristics and diagnostic performance of previously identified microRNAs. The study evaluated these microRNAs alongside clinical rejection scores in distinct blood samples obtained at the time of an endomyocardial biopsy. This research identifies specific microRNA profiles for heart transplant rejection subtypes.

Journal: Heart rhythm

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41525968

Summary: Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves clinical outcomes in patients with dyssynchronous heart failure, yet many patients selected under current guidelines do not respond. This study conducted an external validation of FactorE. C. G., an explainable deep learning-based pipeline for predicting response following biventricular pacing. The underlying deep learning algorithm was previously trained on over one million electrocardiogram median beats to learn generative factors of the electrocardiogram. This validation provides a new tool for predicting individual patient response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Journal: Heart rhythm

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41525967

Summary: Electromechanical window, defined as aortic-valve closure time minus Q. T. interval, assessment outperformed corrected Q. T. interval as a predictor of symptomatic status in long-Q. T. syndrome. This study investigated the relationship between temporal corrected Q. T. interval and electromechanical window dynamics with ventricular tachyarrhythmia timing. The research cohort included 47 patients with long-Q. T. syndrome without ventricular tachyarrhythmia, 18 with long-Q. T. syndrome with ventricular tachyarrhythmia, and nine with drug-induced Q. T. prolongation with ventricular tachyarrhythmia. These findings enhance arrhythmia-risk assessment in both congenital long-Q. T. syndrome and drug-induced Q. T. prolongation.

Journal: The Canadian journal of cardiology

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41525958

Summary: Internal thoracic artery use is a quality benchmark in coronary artery bypass grafting, though its value in octogenarians previously remained uncertain. This study compared mid-term major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality among octogenarians undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with internal thoracic artery plus saphenous vein grafts versus saphenous vein grafts only. Researchers identified 13925 octogenarians who underwent isolated, first-time, elective coronary artery bypass grafting with two to four grafts between 2015 and 2022. This comparison provides clarity on the benefits of internal thoracic artery use in this older patient population.

Today’s date is January 13, 2026. Welcome to Cardiology Today. Here are the latest research findings.

Article number one. Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence in Heart Failure: The Premise and the Promise. Heart failure care shows inconsistent outcomes with delayed recognition of clinical deterioration. Traditional artificial intelligence operates at a population level, proving unable to keep pace with the rapidly shifting physiological states in heart failure. Digital twin technology is described as a continuously calibrated, mechanistically grounded computational replica. This approach represents a decisive shift for managing individual heart failure patients.

Article number two. Identification of Heart Transplant Rejection Subtypes With Circulating MicroRNAs. Circulating microRNAs are promising biomarkers for acute cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplantation. This five-center, prospective, longitudinal cohort study, GRAfT, assessed the characteristics and diagnostic performance of previously identified microRNAs. The study evaluated these microRNAs alongside clinical rejection scores in distinct blood samples obtained at the time of an endomyocardial biopsy. This research identifies specific microRNA profiles for heart transplant rejection subtypes.

Article number three. External validation of an explainable electrocardiogram-only deep learning algorithm for prediction of response after cardiac resynchronization therapy. Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves clinical outcomes in patients with dyssynchronous heart failure, yet many patients selected under current guidelines do not respond. This study conducted an external validation of FactorE. C. G., an explainable deep learning-based pipeline for predicting response following biventricular pacing. The underlying deep learning algorithm was previously trained on over one million electrocardiogram median beats to learn generative factors of the electrocardiogram. This validation provides a new tool for predicting individual patient response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Article number four. Temporal Variability of the Electromechanical Window in Long-QT Syndrome and Drug-Induced QT Prolongation: Value for Enhanced Arrhythmia-Risk Assessment. Electromechanical window, defined as aortic-valve closure time minus Q. T. interval, assessment outperformed corrected Q. T. interval as a predictor of symptomatic status in long-Q. T. syndrome. This study investigated the relationship between temporal corrected Q. T. interval and electromechanical window dynamics with ventricular tachyarrhythmia timing. The research cohort included 47 patients with long-Q. T. syndrome without ventricular tachyarrhythmia, 18 with long-Q. T. syndrome with ventricular tachyarrhythmia, and nine with drug-induced Q. T. prolongation with ventricular tachyarrhythmia. These findings enhance arrhythmia-risk assessment in both congenital long-Q. T. syndrome and drug-induced Q. T. prolongation.

Article number five. Reevaluating Internal Thoracic Artery Use in Octogenarians Undergoing Multivessel Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Internal thoracic artery use is a quality benchmark in coronary artery bypass grafting, though its value in octogenarians previously remained uncertain. This study compared mid-term major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality among octogenarians undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with internal thoracic artery plus saphenous vein grafts versus saphenous vein grafts only. Researchers identified 13925 octogenarians who underwent isolated, first-time, elective coronary artery bypass grafting with two to four grafts between 2015 and 2022. This comparison provides clarity on the benefits of internal thoracic artery use in this older patient population.

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Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy, Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia, Heart Failure, Physiological Monitoring, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Major Adverse Cardiac Events, Electromechanical Window, All-Cause Mortality, Biomarkers, MicroRNAs, Digital Twins, Heart Transplant Rejection, Octogenarians, Internal Thoracic Artery, Arrhythmia Risk, Antibody-Mediated Rejection, Biventricular Pacing, QT Prolongation, Electrocardiogram, Long-QT Syndrome, Acute Cellular Rejection, Precision Medicine.

Concise summaries of cardiovascular research for professionals.

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