Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The prognostic value of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring with CT was validated again this week, this time by follow-on results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
MESA researchers have already demonstrated that CAC scores can help predict which patients are at risk of a heart attack. But in the new study, they wanted to know if CAC scores could help determine whether some patients who are at low risk of heart attack based on LDL cholesterol scores should still get statin therapy.
They found that the ability to predict future cardiac events was enhanced by adding CAC scores to traditional risk factors such as patient age and gender. And CAC scores were a better prognostic tool than other imaging parameters such as measuring carotid intima-media thickness.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
The value of cardiac MRI
In news from our AuntMinnieEurope.com sister site, we bring you coverage from the recent Scientific Symposium on Ultrahigh Field Magnetic Resonance in Berlin, where German researchers presented their perspective on the value of cardiac MRI.
While echocardiography and coronary CT angiography each have advantages for cardiac imaging, cardiac MRI is uniquely able to "step into" myocardial tissue and visualize abnormalities that go beyond wall perfusion defects.
Cardiac MRI also offers the possibility of quantitative assessment of ejection fraction, which can help guide therapy. Learn more about cardiac MRI's advantages by clicking here, or visit the site at www.auntminnieeurope.com.
