Cardiovascular magnetic resonance worldwide: A global commitment to cardiovascular care

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance worldwide: A global commitment to cardiovascular care Our community has made remarkable strides in establishing cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) as a cornerstone of modern cardiology, but our journey is far from over.As the incoming President of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR), I am filled with gratitude, purpose, and responsibility.My vision for the year ahead is centered on addressing key challenges and seizing opportunities to ensure that the benefits of CMR reach patients worldwide.CMR has established itself as a critical tool in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of cardiovascular conditions.Its ability to provide non-invasive, high-resolution imaging without ionizing radiation makes it uniquely valuable in assessing myocardial viability, cardiomyopathies, congenital heart disease, and ischemic heart disease.Despite its advantages, the adoption of CMR remains uneven across regions due to barriers such as cost, lack of trained personnel, limited scanner availability, and insufficient awareness of its clinical utility [1].These barriers-particularly the high costs of CMR scanners and their maintenance-significantly limit accessibility in low-and middleincome countries.A recent worldwide survey by Sierra-Galan et al. [2] confirmed that limited access to scanners and high costs are common obstacles for both high-and low-volume centers.While competing technologies tend to pose greater challenges for high-volume centers, inadequate referral practices emerge as a more critical barrier for lowvolume centers.Efficient CMR has been identified as a crucial factor in overcoming these barriers and increasing patient access to CMR.The SCMR has been actively raising awareness and providing tools to achieve this goal.A 30-minute CMR exam strategy was proposed in an SCMR white paper led by Raman et al. [3].Currently, an elite group of researchers, led by Michael Markl and Vanessa Ferreira, SCMR President and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively, is developing detailed recommendations for efficient CMR, including measures to evaluate its impact in the field.Improving patient access to CMR can be seen as the ultimate goal, enabling more precise diagnosis and better patient prognosis.Beyond CMR efficiency, other critical factors must be carefully analyzed to identify opportunities and set priorities for action, ensuring progress toward the overarching goal of patient accessibility.My strategic priorities for SCMR in 2025 are focused on advancing accessibility and include: