Studies in recent years have shown increased interest in developing new methods of evaluation, but also in limiting post infarction ventricular remodeling, hoping to improve ventricular function and the further evolution of the patient. This is the point where biomarkers have proven effective in early detection of remodeling phenomena. There are six main processes that promote the remodeling and each of them has specific biomarkers that can be used in predicting the evolution (myocardial necrosis, neurohormonal activation, inflammatory reaction, hypertrophy and fibrosis, apoptosis, mixed processes). Some of the biomarkers such as creatine kinase–myocardial band (CK-MB), troponin, and N-terminal-pro type B natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were so convincing that they immediately found their place in the post infarction patient evaluation protocol. Others that are related to more complex processes such as inflammatory biomarkers, atheroma plaque destabilization biomarkers, and microRNA are still being studied, but the results so far are promising. This article aims to review the markers used so far, but also the existing data on new markers that could be considered, taking into consideration the most important studies that have been conducted so far.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common monogenic cardiac disease with a highly variable phenotypic expression, ranging from asymptomatic to drug refractory heart failure (HF) presentation. Pharmacological therapy is the first line of treatment, but options are currently limited to nonspecific medication like betablockers or calcium channel inhibitors, with frequent suboptimal results. While being the gold standard practice for the management of drug refractory HCM patients, septal reduction therapy (SRT) remains an invasive procedure with associated surgical risks and it requires the expertise of the operating centre, thus limiting its accessibility. It is therefore with high interest that researchers look for pharmacological alternatives that could provide higher rates of success. With new data gathering these past years as well as the development of a new drug class showing promising results, this review provides an up-to-date focused synthesis of existing medical treatment options and future directions for HCM pharmacological treatment.

Infiltrative cardiomyopathies (ICMs) comprise a broad spectrum of inherited and acquired conditions (mainly amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, and hemochromatosis), where the progressive buildup of abnormal substances within the myocardium results in left ventricular hypertrophy and manifests as restrictive physiology. Noninvasive multimodality imaging has gradually eliminated endomyocardial biopsy from the diagnostic workup of infiltrative cardiac deposition diseases. However, even with modern imaging techniques’ widespread availability, these pathologies persist in being largely under- or misdiagnosed. Considering the advent of novel, revolutionary pharmacotherapies for cardiac amyloidosis, the archetypal example of ICM, a standardized diagnostic approach is warranted. Therefore, this review aims to emphasize the importance of contemporary cardiac imaging in identifying specific ICM and improving outcomes via the prompt initiation of a targeted treatment.

In recent years, significant advances have been made in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients, which has led to an important improvement in their longevity and quality of life. The use of multimodality imaging has an essential role in the diagnosis, assessing the regional distribution and severity of the disease, with important prognostic implications. At the same time, imaging contributes to the identification of optimal treatment for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, whether it is pharmaceutical, interventional or surgical treatment. Novel pharmacotherapies (like myosin inhibitors), minimally invasive procedures (such as transcatheter mitral valve repair, high-intensity focused ultrasound or radiofrequency ablation) and gene-directed approaches, may soon become alternatives for HCM patients. However, there are only few data on the early diagnosis of patients with HCM, in order to initiate treatment as soon as possible, to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The aim of our review is to highlight the advantages of contemporary imaging in choosing the optimal management strategies for HCM patients, considering the novel therapies which are currently applied or studied for these patients.