title: Cardiovascular applications of therapeutic ultrasound.
abstract: Ultrasound (US) has gained widespread use in diagnostic cardiovascular applications. At amplitudes and frequencies typical of diagnostic use, its biomechanical effects on tissue are largely negligible. However, these parameters can be altered to harness US's thermal and non-thermal effects for therapeutic indications. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ECWT) are two therapeutic US modalities which have been investigated for treating cardiac arrhythmias and ischemic heart disease, respectively. Here, we review the biomechanical effects of HIFU and ECWT, their potential therapeutic mechanisms, and pre-clinical and clinical studies demonstrating their efficacy and safety limitations. Furthermore, we discuss other potential clinical applications of therapeutic US and areas in which future research is needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Room M1184, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0124, USA, babak.nazer@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nazer
authors.forename: Edward P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Gerstenfeld
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Crum
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Matula
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D057086:High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation; D006801:Humans; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*