Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in American men and women and is typically caused by blockages in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. To help prevent CAD, Los Angeles cardiology experts recommend an evaluation of risk factors and appropriate testing for those suspected of having coronary artery disease, based on symptoms and risk factors.

The earlier a coronary blockage is detected, the better the chance that life-threatening problems from CAD may be averted through appropriate treatment. However, CAD can be difficult to diagnose in a non-invasive way. Getting a clear image of the coronary arteries on a CT scan wasn’t always easy. The heart is a moving, beating organ, which causes the coronary arteries on standard CT images to appear blurry. In addition, the earliest signs of CAD often are very tiny changes in the blood vessel lining or wall, making them easy to miss on a traditional CT scan.

But a new imaging technology, called 64 slice CT, is helping overcome these and other barriers. CT, or computed tomography, is a radiological technique that has been used for more than 30 years to give physicians a slice-by-slice view of specific regions of the body. Historically, CT has been useful for detecting stroke, cancer, head injuries, and herniated disks, as well as for locating fractures and evaluating bone and tissue damage in trauma patients.

Today, by using the ultrafast, 64-slice CT scanner and timing the scan to the patient’s heartbeat, physicians can image the heart and its blood vessels without blurring – and in record time. Using advanced computer technology, the information can be reconstructed into 3-D views of the heart and the coronary arteries, showing not only narrowed areas of the blood vessels but also early disease in the vessel walls that may not be narrowed.

Los Angeles cardiologist Dr. Mason Weiss of Apex Cardiology in Inglewood, CA believes that coronary CT angiography using the 64-slice CT scanner is one of the more promising tools in the fight against heart disease, but the technology is continuing to advance rapidly. And this is only the beginning.

Source: healthjournal.upmc.com

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