When the artery feeding blood to the heart is blocked a heart attack occurs. The blockage not only stops the flow of blood to the heart muscle, it also stops the hearts oxygen.

In most cases when a blockage is found a metal stent is placed in the artery.

Until recently researchers were unable to tell if the patients were bleeding into the heart after the stent surgery.

In the new study, researchers used (magnetic resonance imaging) to examine bleeding inside the hearts of 15 individuals who had recently suffered a heart attack. (They could spot areas of bleeding due to the magnetic effects of iron, which is present in the blood.)

Thanks to the study our health care providers will have more insight as to the damage caused by heart attacks, and the best treatments for individual patients.

Lead study author Declan O’Regan, of Imperial College’s MRC Clinical Sciences Center.

Post from: Blisstree

MRI Gives New Hope

The team first did ultrasound exams of the carotid arteries of 1,268 patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease because of multiple risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or known blockages in other blood vessels such as the coronary arteries. Then they concentrated on the 574 patients that showed the most plaque buildup.

What did they find?

Over a follow-up of slightly more than three years, the GSM levels decreased in 230 patients, or 40%, and increased in 344, or 60%. Those in the lowest GSM group, with the darkest plaque, were about 1.7 times more likely to have a cardiovascular event than those whose GSM went up the most, reflecting less dense plaque, during the follow-up. Those whose GSM declined the most had a 68% survival rate at three years, compared to a 78% survival for those whose GSM increased.

This is what one would expect but it is really cool to know that we can now actually ‘view’ this process in order to combat stroke and heart attacks. The researchers did state that this is not ready for the general population and more science is necessary.

via Web MD 

Post from: Blisstree

Repeat US prove to benefit at risk individuals