In the current issue of Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications volume 4, issue 2, pp. 125-134; DOI: 10.15212/CVIA.2019.0013, Zheng Xiaoyu, Liao Qingyao, Wang Yue, Li Hua, Wang Xiaodong, Wang Yaohui, Wu Wentao, Wang Junlin, Xiao Ling, and Huang Jing from the Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China and the Institute of Acoustics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IACAS), Beijing, China summarize the biomedical effects of acoustic intervention in experimental and clinical studies, current challenges, and the potential of ultrasound for cardiovascular disease therapy.

Ultrasound can be considered a mechanical wave for both clinical diagnostic and therapeutic purposes on the basis of its good penetrability and directivity while spreading in solid organs or tissues without any ionizing radiation. As a powerful form of energy, ultrasound, is used for deep-tissue therapy with different sonication parameters. The feasibility of minimally invasive or noninvasive acoustic treatment of a variety of diseases, such as hypertension, arrhythmia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and myocardial infraction, is being explored in animal experiments and clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the biomedical effects of acoustic intervention in experimental and clinical studies, current challenges, and the potential of ultrasound for cardiovascular disease therapy. (Eurekalert!)