The MRI into the Heart
Dateline: 03/19/98
In my March 5th feature, Cast Your Vote, I compiled a list of seven potential topics for features. The top two vote getters were: It's Not the UV but the Diet and The MRI into the Heart. I discussed the former last week, and continue with the latter this week.
Heart attack! The very words invoke fear. Scientists have known for some time that there are a variety of risk factors associated with multiple heart attacks. The severity of the first heart attack, for instance, is a potent predictor of later complications. What hasn't been fully understood are all of the factors involved in the likelihood of recurrence after the first attack. Scientists have recently begun to unravel pieces of this puzzle through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) . When applied to the heart after an initial heart attack, MRI may help researchers to predict who is likely to have further complications, such as another heart attack, heart failure, and even death.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, showed that patients whose capillaries (smallest blood vessels) were "blocked" were more likely to have further complications. Using MRI, they were able to determine that patients whose capillaries are blocked with dead cells and other cellular "debris" following the first attack, are more likely to suffer later complications.
Scientists were able to fully predict complications based on the degree and extent of these "vascular obstructions." By using MRI as a prescriptive measure, they hope to determine which patients suffering their first heart attack will need close monitoring and which may be monitored more loosely.
Again, the severity of the first heart attack was also a predictor of more severe complications. Those patients with "major" heart attacks suffered complications at a rate almost 2.5 times that of patients with "minor" heart attacks.
Many in the medical community believe that the use of MRI will increase in the future and may even become the major method for post heart attack screening for patients.
What do you think? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of widespread use of MRI? Is there a cost component involved? Stop by the Biology Forum and share your thoughts, feelings, and opinions. 'Til next time...
For additional information see:
- MRI Scans Following Heart Attack Could Determine Future Health
News release issued by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
