Research points to role for EBT in heart imaging

Electron-beam CT proponents will be pleased with the outcome of a study published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation (Jan. 25, 2000, Vol. 101, No. 3). In a study of EBT in 4,000 asymptomatic individuals with risk factors for heart disease, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston concluded that coronary artery scanning by EBT identifies a high-risk group of asymptomatic subjects who have clinically important silent myocardial ischemia.

The study was designed to compare the ability of EBT with exercise treadmill testing (ETT) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to identify myocardial ischemia. While Baylor researchers affirmed SPECT's role as the gold standard for detecting ischemic coronary artery disease, they also concluded that EBT is more sensitive than either ETT or SPECT in identifying asymptomatic individuals in whom aggressive risk factor modification is warranted.

By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
February 3, 2000

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