Quantum Cardiovascular Medicine: From Hype to Hope-A Critical Review of Real-World Applications

Context: As quantum technologies advance with innovations in cardiovascular medicine, it can be challenging to distinguish genuine clinical progress from mere ideas. There will also be difficult transitions involved in moving technology from proof of concept demonstrated in the lab. This transition is complicated by the excitement and hype that comes with any new technology. Aim: This work aims to assess what quantum technologies are available in cardiovascular medicine for real-world use, to identify which applications are closer to clinically relevant translation, and to differentiate realistic advances from advanced-not-yet realities. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and arXiv. While real-world use of technologies was prioritized, we included all theoretical literature, regardless of date of publication. Search terms were a combination of the vocabulary of quantum technologies and the vocabulary of cardiovascular medicine. Peer-reviewed publications included primary research, reviews, theoretical works, and conference proceedings. Two reviewers independently screened all citations, and any disagreements were resolved through consensus discussion. Results: We identified three core application areas: (1) quantum sensing, such as cardiac magnetometry, where there is potential for SQUID magnetocardiography to be used for detecting cardiomyopathy; (2) quantum computing for cardiovascular risk prediction, and (3) next-generation quantum sensors for mobile cardiac imaging. Conclusions: Quantum technology in cardiovascular medicine represents modest promise in select applications, most notably, magnetocardiography. To go from "hype to hope", clinical trials will be required to identify application domains where quantum technologies outweigh the challenges of implementation in clinical practice.