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Researchers say they have developed technology that could predict heart attacks years before they happen.
The researchers report using mathematical algorithms to examine computed1 tomography, or CT, images of a patient’s heart. A CT scan uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed2 pictures of bones, organs and other tissue inside the body.
The new method was developed by researchers at the University of Oxford3 in England. A report on their study was published in the medical journal The Lancet. Also taking part in the study were teams from Friedrich-Alexander-University in Erlangen, Germany, and the Cleveland Clinic in the United States.
Most heart attacks result from a build-up of fatty tissue inside arteries4 that carry blood from the heart to other areas of the body. Too much buildup can block this flow of blood and cause a heart attack.
Currently, doctors use CT scans to learn when a sticky substance called plaque5 has already built up inside an artery6. The new technology is designed to predict which arteries are at risk for future buildup.
The researchers reported using computer algorithms to examine CT scans to measure how much fat is present around heart arteries. That fat changes when an artery becomes inflamed7, serving as an early warning system for heart attacks.
Charalambos Antoniades is a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Oxford University. He told the Reuters news agency he believes the research shows this method could be very effective in getting patients to take early steps to prevent future problems.
“Say your arteries are inflamed and a narrowing will be developed five years down the line. So maybe you can start preventive measures to avoid this formation of plaques,” he said.
“If you are able to identify inflammation in the arteries of the heart, then you can say which arteries...will cause heart attacks.”
Antoniades added that researchers had yet to estimate exactly how many heart attacks could be prevented. But he said he believes the technique could help identify between 20 to 30 percent of people at risk of having one.
He added that the new technology will make such predictions easier because it works together with existing CT technology.
The research was based on two large, independent studies of 4,000 patients in Erlangen, Germany, and the Cleveland Clinic.
A company with ties to Oxford University is developing a service to examine CT scans of patients around the world, Reuters reported.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Words in This Story
algorithm – n. set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process
scan – n. looking at the inside of something by using a special machine
artery – n. one of the tubes in the body that carries blood from the heart
inflammation – n. a swelling8 of part of the body
narrow – v. to limit, restrict or make smaller
1 computed | |
adj.[医]计算的,使用计算机的v.计算,估算( compute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2 detailed | |
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的 | |
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3 Oxford | |
n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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4 arteries | |
n.动脉( artery的名词复数 );干线,要道 | |
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5 plaque | |
n.饰板,匾,(医)血小板 | |
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6 artery | |
n.干线,要道;动脉 | |
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7 inflamed | |
adj.发炎的,红肿的v.(使)变红,发怒,过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8 swelling | |
n.肿胀 | |
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