The Evolving Role of Cardiac CT in Heart Failure Management
Author(s):
Heart failure (HF) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, necessitating advanced diagnostic and prognostic tools. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has emerged as a powerful imaging modality in HF management, offering detailed structural and functional assessments beyond traditional echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). This review explores the expanding applications of cardiac CT in HF, including coronary artery disease (CAD) evaluation, myocardial characterization, left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function analysis, and emerging techniques such as CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) and extracellular volume (ECV) quantification. We also discuss its role in guiding device therapy (e.g., transcatheter mitral valve repair) and risk stratification. With advancements in radiation reduction and artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced image processing, cardiac CT is poised to become an indispensable tool in comprehensive HF care.