Scans can be oriented in any plane of the body and are not limited by acoustic windows. Because of its three dimensional nature, magnetic resonance imaging has become the ideal method for measuring ventricular mass and volume. 2 Some patients are not suitable for the procedure, such as those with cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators. Recent advances Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is the newest technique for non-invasive cardiology It assesses cardiac function, mass, and volume and can detect myocardial infarction and fibrosis Computed tomography is used to quantify coronary calcium, high scores being related to increased risk, but its use remains controversial Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy single photon emission computed tomography is cost effective in investigating patients with suspected coronary disease Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is now a valuable technique for guiding practice in hypertension The level of B natriuretic peptide increases with ventricular dysfunction, thus providing prognostic information Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging has a rapidly increasing role in cardiology (box 1) and is routinely used to assess anatomy, cardiovascular function, and blood flow.