Medical imaging has proven to be a vital aspect of health care, allowing radiologists to better diagnose and treat medical conditions and injuries in a timely manner. However, these procedures can also work to prevent the development of certain ailments, specifically in identifying the risk of cardiovascular disease.
AuntMinnie.com reported that a study, published in the journal Radiology, underscored the impact of routine CT scans on predicting CVD risk in patients. Led by Pushpa Jairam, M.D., Ph.D., from University Medical Center Utrecht, Dutch researchers examined previous studies that contributed to incidental findings in individuals who might have been susceptible to the development of CVD.
“With this study, we address to some extent, the need for a shift in cardiovascular risk assessment from conventional risk factors to direct measures of subclinical atherosclerosis,” said Jairam, quoted by Diagnostic Imaging.
Setting a new standard in prediction
The scientists started with more than 10,000 patients without any known cases of cancer or heart disease who had undergone routine chest CTs for various reasons. They monitored the outcomes over a period of years for the patients who had incidental findings reported in their exams. The researchers then implemented a risk-prediction score on the scans to measure the likelihood of CVD development.
Among the participants, Jairam and her colleagues identified more than 1,100 CVD events from the group. The use of chest CTs has risen over the last few years, leading to significant developments in preventative care through digital imaging procedures. In the future, this modality can become a viable method for population-based screening protocols for at-risk demographics such as smokers. Additionally, the prediction score developed by the Dutch doctors could be utilized in a range of radiological environments to better diagnose CVD risk.
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Ronny Bachrach
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