Welcome to Cardiology Today – Recorded January 11, 2026. This episode summarizes 5 key cardiology studies on topics like left ventricular ejection fraction and Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Key takeaway: I. C. D. Driving Risk Predicted by Baseline Data..

Article Links:

Article 1: Sensitization in Organ Transplantation: Assessment of Risk (STAR) 2025 Meeting Group Report. (American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons)

Article 2: Phenotypic stratification and prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance in non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy. (Heart (British Cardiac Society))

Article 3: Predicting the risk of motor vehicle crash in the first year after cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. (Heart (British Cardiac Society))

Article 4: Early predictors of aortic valve surgery in patients with significant bicuspid aortic regurgitation without initial surgical indication. (Heart (British Cardiac Society))

Article 5: Insomnia symptom trajectories and incident cardiovascular disease in older adults: a longitudinal cohort study. (Heart (British Cardiac Society))

Full episode page: https://podcast.explainheart.com/podcast/i-c-d-driving-risk-predicted-by-baseline-data-01-11-26/

Journal: American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41519473

Summary: The S. T. A. R. initiative’s working group has held three consensus meetings and published reports that have influenced clinical care in organ transplantation. The 2025 group identified and addressed five key evolving areas in transplantation: donor-derived cell-free D. N. A. tests, innate immunity in allograft rejection, immunogenicity and antigenicity, and H. L. A. antibody quantification. This demonstrates the group’s ongoing work in translating laboratory data into clinical practice and guiding future research priorities.

Journal: Heart (British Cardiac Society)

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40819904

Summary: This study identified three distinct cardiac magnetic resonance-based phenotypes in 515 patients with non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy. These phenotypes include late gadolinium enhancement positive with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, late gadolinium enhancement negative with dilated left atrium or right ventricle and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, and late gadolinium enhancement negative with isolated systolic dysfunction with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. The classification of these phenotypes provides a new framework for risk stratification in this patient population.

Journal: Heart (British Cardiac Society)

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40555466

Summary: This study utilized 22 years of population-based administrative data to identify licensed drivers who received a first implantable cardioverter-defibrillator between 1998 and 2018. It developed a method using baseline health and driving data, along with logistic regression, to estimate the risk of motor vehicle crash in the first year post-implantation. This approach provides clinicians with a tool to personalize medical driving restrictions following implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation.

Journal: Heart (British Cardiac Society)

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40541293

Summary: This study identified a cohort of 335 patients with moderate or severe bicuspid aortic regurgitation who did not initially meet guideline-based criteria for aortic valve surgery. These patients were drawn from a single-center registry of 1927 individuals with bicuspid aortic valve, excluding those with severe aortic stenosis, endocarditis, or other major valvular diseases. The study establishes the critical need for identifying early predictors of disease progression within this specific high-risk subgroup to aid in optimal risk stratification and surgical timing.

Journal: Heart (British Cardiac Society)

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40425274

Summary: This longitudinal cohort study of 12000 participants aged 50 years or older investigated the associations between insomnia symptoms, their long-term trajectories, and incident cardiovascular disease. All participants were without baseline cardiovascular disease and were drawn from the U. S. Health and Retirement Study between 2002 and 2018. The study demonstrated the importance of evaluating long-term patterns of insomnia symptoms in relation to cardiovascular disease development in older adults.

Today’s date is January 11, 2026. Welcome to Cardiology Today. Here are the latest research findings.

Article number one. Sensitization in Organ Transplantation: Assessment of Risk (STAR) 2025 Meeting Group Report. The S. T. A. R. initiative’s working group has held three consensus meetings and published reports that have influenced clinical care in organ transplantation. The 2025 group identified and addressed five key evolving areas in transplantation: donor-derived cell-free D. N. A. tests, innate immunity in allograft rejection, immunogenicity and antigenicity, and H. L. A. antibody quantification. This demonstrates the group’s ongoing work in translating laboratory data into clinical practice and guiding future research priorities.

Article number two. Phenotypic stratification and prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance in non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy. This study identified three distinct cardiac magnetic resonance-based phenotypes in 515 patients with non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy. These phenotypes include late gadolinium enhancement positive with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, late gadolinium enhancement negative with dilated left atrium or right ventricle and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, and late gadolinium enhancement negative with isolated systolic dysfunction with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. The classification of these phenotypes provides a new framework for risk stratification in this patient population.

Article number three. Predicting the risk of motor vehicle crash in the first year after cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. This study utilized 22 years of population-based administrative data to identify licensed drivers who received a first implantable cardioverter-defibrillator between 1998 and 2018. It developed a method using baseline health and driving data, along with logistic regression, to estimate the risk of motor vehicle crash in the first year post-implantation. This approach provides clinicians with a tool to personalize medical driving restrictions following implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation.

Article number four. Early predictors of aortic valve surgery in patients with significant bicuspid aortic regurgitation without initial surgical indication. This study identified a cohort of 335 patients with moderate or severe bicuspid aortic regurgitation who did not initially meet guideline-based criteria for aortic valve surgery. These patients were drawn from a single-center registry of 1927 individuals with bicuspid aortic valve, excluding those with severe aortic stenosis, endocarditis, or other major valvular diseases. The study establishes the critical need for identifying early predictors of disease progression within this specific high-risk subgroup to aid in optimal risk stratification and surgical timing.

Article number five. Insomnia symptom trajectories and incident cardiovascular disease in older adults: a longitudinal cohort study. This longitudinal cohort study of 12000 participants aged 50 years or older investigated the associations between insomnia symptoms, their long-term trajectories, and incident cardiovascular disease. All participants were without baseline cardiovascular disease and were drawn from the U. S. Health and Retirement Study between 2002 and 2018. The study demonstrated the importance of evaluating long-term patterns of insomnia symptoms in relation to cardiovascular disease development in older adults.

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left ventricular ejection fraction, Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, sudden cardiac death, disease progression, aortic valve, motor vehicle crash, risk stratification, late gadolinium enhancement, Non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy, driving restrictions, Organ transplantation, cardiovascular disease, older adults, cardiac magnetic resonance, Insomnia symptoms, health and retirement study, H. L. A. antibodies, donor-derived cell-free D. N. A., allograft rejection, logistic regression, aortic valve surgery, Bicuspid aortic regurgitation, innate immunity, longitudinal study.

Concise summaries of cardiovascular research for professionals.

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