Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A new study of more than 44,000 patients points out -- once again -- the health risks of smoking with new data on its relationship to coronary calcium. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and several other U.S. institutions used CT-based coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring to document the risk faced by smokers with elevated CAC.
The highest mortality risk was found in smokers with the highest CAC scores, though mortality was surprisingly flat across the different strata of CAC scores in smokers. But the study also found that even smokers with CAC scores of 0 had a higher risk of death compared to nonsmokers who had evidence of coronary calcium. Learn more by clicking here.
In other CT news, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association's publication of new CT access rules is drawing praise from all sides. The rules aim to limit and strictly define which employees can change important CT equipment settings. Click here to read more, or visit our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
New breast density firm
Increasing awareness of the importance of breast density is spawning a cottage industry of firms looking to provide better tools for measuring density and informing women of their density status. We offer a look at one of the newest companies, called Densitas, this week in our Women's Imaging Digital Community.
Densitas has developed software that automatically scores a women's breast density status on a scale of 0 to 100. The application has already demonstrated good agreement with density assessments provided by radiologists, according to the firm.
Densitas could help breast centers comply with density reporting requirements that are becoming increasingly common at the state level in the U.S., such as the legislation passed in California last month. Learn more by clicking here, or visit the Women's Imaging Digital Community at women.auntminnie.com.
Challenges for MBI vendor
Also be sure to visit our Molecular Imaging Digital Community for a new article on the challenges faced by another developer of breast imaging technology, Gamma Medica. The firm recently filed for bankruptcy protection in California and is looking for a capital infusion to help it continue to market its LumaGem molecular breast imaging system.
Gamma Medica won U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for LumaGem three years ago, but the system has struggled to win widespread commercial acceptance. Molecular breast imaging is being offered as an adjunct to mammography for some women, such as those with dense breast tissue.
Learn more about the firm by clicking here, or visit the community at molecular.auntminnie.com.
