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Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a condition with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Canakinumab is a novel monoclonal antibody therapy that has been shown to reduce CV events but is associated with side effects and high cost. The main objective for this analysis is to determine whether canakinumab use is cost-effective for the prevention of recurrent CV events.A decision model was developed to estimate the direct costs and outcomes among patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction and are treated with canakinumab. A lifetime study horizon was used to analyze the base-case costs and utilities from the perspective of the Canadian publicly funded healthcare system. Markov modeling was used in combination with Monte Carlo simulation to derive expected values for costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), permitting the calculation of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios.Canakinumab was associated with higher average lifetime costs per patient ($457,982 vs $82,565) and higher average QALYs per patient (14.90 vs 14.20), compared with standard of care. Thus, the incremental cost per QALY gained for canakinumab treatment vs standard-of-care therapy was $535,365. The probability that canakinumab treatment is cost-effective was 0%. Results were consistent over a range of scenario analyses.Treatment of patients post-myocardial infarction with canakinumab is not cost-effective, compared with standard-of-care therapy at the current price. Based on currently accepted willingness-to-pay thresholds in Canada, a reduction in price of 91% is required to yield a cost per patient that would be considered appropriate.La maladie cardiovasculaire (CV) est une affection à forts taux de morbidité et de mortalité. Le canakinumab est un nouveau traitement par anticorps monoclonaux qui s’est avéré diminuer les événements CV, mais qui est associé à des effets secondaires et des coûts élevés. Le principal objectif de la présente analyse est de déterminer si l’utilisation du canakinumab est rentable dans la prévention des événements CV récidivants.Nous avons élaboré un modèle de prise de décision pour estimer les coûts directs et les résultats chez les patients qui ont souffert d’un infarctus du myocarde et qui sont traités par canakinumab. Nous avons utilisé un horizon d’étude sur la vie entière pour l’analyse coût-utilité de référence selon la perspective du système de soins de santé du Canada financé par l’État. La modélisation de Markov qui a été utilisée en combinaison avec la simulation Monte Carlo pour obtenir les valeurs attendues des coûts et des années de vie ajustées en fonction de la qualité (AVAQ) a permis le calcul des ratios coûts-efficacité différentiels.Le canakinumab a été associé à des coûts moyens sur la vie entière plus élevés par patient (457 982 $Le traitement des patients après un infarctus du myocarde par canakinumab n’est pas rentable comparativement au traitement selon la norme de soins au prix actuel. Selon les seuils de propension à payer actuellement acceptés au Canada, une réduction du prix de 91 % est requise pour obtenir un coût par patient qui serait considéré comme approprié.

Molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) serves numerous applications in clinical cardiology and research. Similar to other medical imaging technologies, this area has undergone and continues to experience rapid changes resulting from technological and medical advances. These have immediate impacts on diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient care, as well as supplying innovative tools for fundamental and translational research. A broad shift toward hybrid PET systems and incorporation of advanced computational tools has been accompanied by mechanism-specific, targeted radiopharmaceuticals that seek to address long-standing limitations in cardiac imaging. While this review addresses some of the still-emerging clinical uses of established radiopharmaceuticals, it too highlights newer imaging probes, applications, and imaging techniques and instrumentation on the horizon. We highlight molecular imaging advances in inflammatory and infiltrative myocardial conditions, heart metabolism, vascular and valvular diseases, neurohormonal dysregulation, and transformational technical advances such as the rise of artificial intelligence and theranostic approaches to cardiovascular disease.

Aneurysm formation is a complex multifactorial process with both genetic and environmental influences. Over recent years, there has been increasing recognition of sex-specific differences regarding the prevalence and natural history of cardiovascular diseases in the population. In particular, there is a growing body of evidence showing that aneurysm behaviour differs based on sex. Although most types of aneurysms are more common in men, their growth rates and outcomes are worse in women. This fact raises attention about potential underlying differences in the arteries of men and women that may contribute to differences in aneurysm prevalence and outcomes. There are complex biochemical and mechanical mechanisms at play that contribute to vascular health. Furthermore, many studies have suggested potential differences in the hormonal milieu and underlying arterial anatomy between men and women. Based on the data reviewed in this article, assessment of the underlying pathophysiology of aneurysms in women might prove clinically useful regarding prevention, early detection, and management of aneurysms in women. Sex-specific research, screening, and treatment guidelines for aneurysm disease should be introduced to reflect the differing natural history of these diseases in men and women.

Women with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) have higher risk of acute aortic syndromes and death than men. We have shown that TAA growth is accelerated in women, helping explain the sex differences in TAA outcomes. Since aortic stiffness reflects the health of the aorta, we sought to determine the sex-specific role of aortic stiffness on TAA growth. One hundred thirty unoperated people with TAA were recruited. Maximal aneurysm size at the oldest and latest imaging studies was measured to calculate TAA growth rate. Aortic stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) using applanation tonometry. Multivariable linear regression adjusted for confounders assessed the association of cfPWV with TAA growth. Seventy-three percent of subjects were men. Mean±SD age, baseline aneurysm size, follow-up time, and cfPWV were 62.5±11.5 years, 45.3±4.0 mm, 3.3±3.0 years and 9.6±3.5 m/s, and not different based on sex. TAA growth rate was 0.96±1.00 mm/y in women and 0.45±0.58 mm/y in men ( P =0.006). In the whole group, cfPWV was independently associated with TAA growth (β±SE: 0.06±0.02, P =0.02). However, in sex-specific analyses cfPWV was independently associated with faster aneurysm growth in women (β±SE: 0.21±0.09, P =0.03), but not in men (β±SE: −0.002±0.02, P =0.94), with a significant sex×cfPWV interaction ( P