New way to see artery damage before heart disease sets in by analysing CT scans differently
British researchers develop non-invasive way to detect inflammation of arteries by analysing changes in the fat tissue that surrounds them that show up on CT scans
Researchers have developed a new way to non-invasively peer into a person’s arteries, detect inflammation, and possibly ward off heart disease before it becomes too severe to treat.
Heart disease is the top killer of men and women in the United States, accounting for one in four deaths nationwide. Each year, about 750,000 Americans have a heart attack. In Hong Kong, it is the third leading cause of death.
For decades, doctors have relied on CT scans and angiograms to detect coronary artery disease, a leading cause of heart attack.
These tests focus on finding vessels that are narrowing due to a build-up of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, restricting blood flow to the heart. But they are far from perfect.
Often, patients with narrowed coronary arteries find out only when their condition is severe.