The January issue of JASE includes a brief research communication titled
, “Sustained Benefits of Mavacamten in Patients With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Long-Term Assessment Using Artificial Intelligence–Electrocardiogram and Echocardiographic Data.” Author Said Alsidawi, MD, remarks, “In this paper, we show that mavacamten has sustained benefit on left ventricular diastolic function based on AI-ECG data and echo parameters when assessed after 6 months of therapy. These benefits were independent of LVOT gradient relief and might suggest an intrinsic effect on the myocytes.”
Two other brief research communications are included in this issue; the first discusses a novel echocardiography feature-tracking algorithm for stabilized frame-to-frame extraction of aortic root diameters in the parasternal long axis, and another comes to us from Australia and New Zealand, spotlighting young people with rheumatic mitral regurgitation living in remote areas. This issue’s original investigations incorporate a variety of topics including cardiac function in long COVID, coronary artery disease, and normal values in 3D echocardiography. An editorial comment accompanies an original investigation on the prevalence of diastolic and systolic mitral annular disjunction in patients with mitral valve prolapse. Rounding out this issue is the correspondence section—read about efficacy of goal-directed Valsalva in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy taking mavacamten, targeted neonatal echo based hemodynamic consultation in the ICU, and dobutamine in low-flow, low-gradient severe aortic stenosis with preserved ejection fraction.
This month’s President’s Message is guest written by members of ASE’s Research and Research Oversight Committees, Jonathan Lindner, MD, FASE; Daniel Forsha, MD, FASE; and Raymond Stainback, MD, FASE, and highlights the vital work of clinician-scientists and ASE’s ongoing efforts to support scientists and innovation in this realm of echo.
A new call for papers is now open! A focus issue on chamber quantification is set for publication in early 2026. Papers that address any aspect of echocardiography in quantitative assessment of the cardiac chambers should be submitted by June 1, 2025. Please direct questions to JASE managing editor Debbie Meyer at dmeyer@asecho.org.