(Press-News.org) San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research introduced at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting may lead to much-needed cardiovascular disease screening for diabetic patients at risk of ischemic heart disease, a disorder marked by significantly reduced blood flow in the heart. Ischemia of the myocardium, or cardiac muscle, can signal diminished oxygenation of the heart tissue and trigger a heart attack if left untreated.
"Diabetes is a serious risk factor for ischemic heart disease," says Kenji Fukushima, MD, PhD, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. "Most diabetic patients do not exhibit signs of myocardial ischemia and may be on course toward major cardiac events without any red alert. Molecular imaging could potentially provide an effective screening tool for at-risk diabetic patients suspected of having ischemic heart disease."
According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 25.8 million children and adults—more than eight percent of the population—are diabetic and at least twice as likely as non-diabetics to develop heart disease. The link is attributed to the damaging effects of high blood sugar levels on blood vessels. Persistently high blood sugar levels can lead to inflammatory disease and atherosclerosis, or thickening of the blood vessel walls, and eventually myocardial ischemia.
The standard molecular imaging technique is stress myocardial perfusion imaging, which provides information about blood flow in the heart at rest and under stress either with exercise or with drugs that recreate the physiological changes associated with exercise. However, stress testing may be unsafe for patients at risk of complications or cardiac events. This study explores a method of molecular imaging called myocardial fatty acid metabolism imaging, which may prove to be a safer alternative for patients suspected of having ischemic heart disease.
During the study, a total of 191 diabetic patients were injected with I-123 beta-methyl iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP), a medical isotope bound with an agent that is metabolized by the heart in order to image the fatty acid uptake of heart muscle cells. Once injected, patients were imaged using dual single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), a molecular imaging technology that captures both physiological and anatomical information about the body. The objective of the study was to test the predictive value of this imaging procedure for major cardiac events like fatal heart attack and minor cardiac events such as hospitalization due to heart failure. Follow-up of the study revealed 13 major and 25 minor events, proving that I-123 BMIPP is safe and beneficial for predicting the likelihood of cardiac events in diabetic patients suspected of having myocardial ischemia.
This is the first study of its kind detecting ischemic heart disease in diabetic patients without any history of myocardial disease. If moved into clinical use, imaging both cell metabolism and blood flow through the heart could help physicians detect myocardial ischemia and make clinical decisions that could save lives.
INFORMATION:
Scientific Paper 110: K. Fukushima, M. Momose, Y. Miyake, C. Kondo, T. Nakajima, N. Hagiwara, S. Sakai, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan; "Prognostic usefulness of I-123 BMIPP and TL-201 dual SPECT in patients with diabetes mellitus for suspected ischemic heart disease," SNM's 58th Annual Meeting, June 4-8, 2011, San Antonio, TX.
END
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting may mark the expansion of a novel imaging agent for an optical technique called near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF), which uses light energy to glean information about cells and tissues. NIRF combined with the newly synthesized agent can image dangerous blood clots hiding inside elusive veins, most commonly within the deep tissues of the thighs and pelvis, but potentially also in the coronary arteries. The agent uses a biomarker that seeks out a peptide (the building blocks of proteins) called ...
Kazawest Services Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of a residential development, in the North Vancouver Lynn Valley district, to its strata management portfolio.
Through its integrated real estate services, strength in customer service and deep knowledge of building operations, Kazawest is leading the property management sector in British Columbia.
"We are pleased the strata council for this property has chosen Kazawest's property management services," states Amyn Somani, CEO of Kazawest. "There is a great sense of community at this development, ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research being presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting shows that molecular imaging is helping to determine the cause and expand treatment for a silent killer. A study focusing on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)—a cardiovascular disorder that causes a thickening of the heart muscle—is proving that the effects of a genetic mutation may be an important key to understanding the disease. In related research, a treatment called alcohol septal ablation is being revealed as an effective treatment for severe cases of HCM.
"These studies show ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research introduced at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting reveals the extent to which an ongoing study can help save life and limb for patients with diabetes-related foot infections. Diabetes can cause nerve damage and reduced blood flow to the bones and tissues of the feet, leaving diabetics vulnerable to infection. This study shows that combining two imaging agents with molecular imaging techniques provides diabetic patients an excellent infection screening method that has already spared a number of patients from aggressive amputation of infected ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting highlights molecular imaging's diagnostic potential for patients with fever of unknown origin. Persistent fever can be a warning sign for a range of diseases that could be dangerous if left untreated. A single, full-body molecular imaging scan may give physicians everything they need to narrow down the cause and determine appropriate treatment.
"Molecular imaging is used widely throughout the world for oncology, as well as cardiology and neurology, but our research shows that it could be ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A study introduced at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting shows potential relief for patients who suffer chronic pain after back surgery. A molecular imaging procedure that combines functional and anatomical information about the body is able to zero in on the site of abnormal bone reaction and provide more accurate diagnoses and appropriate pain management for patients who have received hardware implants or bone grafts.
"With PET/CT we can pinpoint the exact screw or rod that was loose or failing. We can help doctors and patients accurately decide ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A study introduced at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting is advancing a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging method that uses new 4D image reconstruction to achieve the highest diagnostic capability for the detection of cancer. Mounting evidence shows that PET imaging, which provides visual representations of bodily functions, is significantly more sensitive when used with cutting-edge 4D image reconstruction technology that accounts for patient respiration and produces clearer, more easily interpreted images.
"PET imaging with 4D image ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Preliminary research presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting is breaking new ground for the development of a brand new hybrid molecular imaging system. Simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is providing important diagnostic information about soft tissues and physiological functions throughout the body. Scans focused on screening suspicious lesions for cancer are already comparable to more conventional molecular imaging methods. Further research could lead to the clinical use of PET/MRI as an ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A study presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting focuses on the effect that breathing irregularities have on the accuracy of 4D positron emission tomography (PET) scans and outlines a PET imaging method that reduces "motion artifacts" or image blurring arising from respiratory motion. Non-gated PET imaging with 4D computed tomography may be useful for imaging patients who do not benefit from the use of respiratory gating, most notably patients with erratic breathing.
"Breathing irregularities can lead to significantly underestimated lesion ...
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Scientists presented new research at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting that has the potential to help physicians detect breast cancer by imaging the proliferation of blood vessels carrying oxygen and nutrients to breast tumors. Their study is evaluating a new imaging agent that is naturally drawn to angiogenesis—the development of new blood vessels in tissues both normal and cancerous. This process turns malignant during the growth stage of many cancerous tumors including those in breast tissue.
"The positive outcomes of this study are encouraging ...
