Day: September 25, 2025

The term late-breaking is well known from the days when a local newscast in North America would interrupt regular programming to provide the latest weather forecasts, severe traffic or road conditions, and other “breaking” information. These reports were often accompanied by scrolling tickers or lower thirds that indicated the significance of the news item. Since the emergence of 24-hour news networks and the advent of generative AI, many similar graphics have become commonplace.

The late-breaking abstract category allows for the presentation of high impact research that is unable to be submitted by the general abstract submission deadline. This includes primary results from randomized controlled trials; subgroup or prespecified analysis of a randomized trial; long-term follow up of device or clinical outcomes; and other important and relevant information that has become available in the last three months. The research should have potential to significantly impact interventional cardiology.

While the late-breaking presentations at SRI are important and exciting, it is also worth considering whether the pendulum has swung too far in this direction and that too much attention has been paid to this relatively small subset of the original research presented at SRI meetings. The emphasis on the Late Breakers may have overshadowed the importance of many other clinically relevant studies that occur in other sessions and perhaps reduced the scrutiny with which these other studies are viewed and given credibility.

While the majority of LBW presentations are confirmatory and extend previous findings, some present highly promising data that could lead to future significant advances in our practice. These are the type of studies that should be considered for inclusion in the LBW program.

Economic growth is a goal for politicians, business leaders, and citizens alike. If an economy is growing, people spend more and earn more, and feel better off than they would if the economy was stagnating. If economic growth is slowing, however, companies may cut jobs and reduce spending, leaving citizens feeling worse off.

There are many ways to measure economic growth, but one of the most common is gross domestic product (GDP), which is a measure of a country’s total output. GDP is calculated by adding together four factors of production: land and natural resources, labor, capital equipment, and entrepreneurship. It is important to note, though, that GDP does not account for everything that adds value to the economy. For example, raising and caring for children is not included in GDP but is counted as income if done by paid childcare workers.

One of the most important drivers of economic growth is technological advance, which improves the use of existing materials and labor to generate more output. This can include the invention of new goods and services like computers, as well as the ability to do things faster or cheaper with existing resources. Economies of scale and improved resource allocation can also boost productivity, reducing the amount of input required to produce a given output.

Achieving and sustaining high levels of economic growth is a top priority for elected officials, both in advanced economies and emerging markets. Despite the recent slowdown in global GDP growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many economists see signs that economic growth will continue to accelerate in the years ahead.