Feature | June 24, 2014

New Study Develops Cutting-edge Echocardiography Method for Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndromes

June 24, 2014 — Researchers have announced the results of a clinical study that used a novel echocardiographic technique to detect and quantify damage to heart muscle even after an episode of mild cardiac injury from ischemia (low blood flow to the heart) has resolved. These findings provide hope for detecting potential heart attack victims before they experience life-threatening symptoms.

“The ability to detect heart damage due to low blood flow that occurs downstream from a coronary blockage is key to the early diagnosis of heart attack or for identifying patients who are at very high risk for heart attack,” said primary investigator Brian H. Mott, M.D. Mott is a cardiology research fellow at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore.; he and his colleagues used myocardial contrast echocardiography with custom-designed microbubble contrast agents, which can be injected through a simple IV and then bind to injured tissue to detect molecular changes that occurred up to six hours after very brief reduction in blood flow. “An issue is that our clinical tools for diagnosing threatened heart attack are far from perfect,” Mott commented. “Our approach using ‘smart’ targeted microbubbles could allow the clinician to detect problems at the bedside in just minutes. Moreover, the technique works to detect injury long after it has resolved and can be used to help judge patient risk according to the size of the area that is jeopardized by low blood flow.”

Researchers on the study, “Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography Molecular Imaging With Phosphatidylserine-enriched Microbubbles for Detection and Spatial Quantification of Myocardial Ischemia,” included Brian H. Mott, William H. Packwood, Brian P. Davidson and Jonathan R. Lindner from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore.

For more information: www.asecho.org


Related Content

News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

June 11, 2025 — Bayer and the Broad Institute have have extended their research collaboration of 10 years by an ...

Home June 11, 2025
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

May 27, 2025 — Despite scientific advances in cardiovascular care, people in living in rural areas and other communities ...

Home May 27, 2025
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

May 20, 2025 — Shockwave Medical, Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson MedTechhas announced the 30-day primary endpoint ...

Home May 21, 2025
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

Jan. 13, — A new cohort study among 103,642 adults found that current use of cigars was associated with increased risk ...

Home January 14, 2025
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

Nov. 22, 2024 — BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ...

Home November 25, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

Nov. 18, 2024 — Silence Therapeutics presented end-of-treatment data from its Phase 2 ALPACAR-360 study of zerlasiran, a ...

Home November 18, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

Aug. 15, 2024 — According to a new study being presented at ACC Asia 2024 in Delhi, India, drinking over 400 mg of ...

Home August 14, 2024
Home
Videos | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

As part of DAIC's continuing Thought Leadership Series, this month Editorial Director Melinda Taschetta-Millane sits ...

Home July 30, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

July 25, 2024 — BioCardia, Inc., a global leader in cellular and cell-derived therapeutics for the treatment of ...

Home July 25, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

July 18, 2024 — Elucid, a pioneering AI medical technology company providing physicians with imaging analysis software ...

Home July 18, 2024
Home
Subscribe Now