Study shows new imaging tracer clarifies cause of chest pain up to 30 hours after ...( the heart during strenuous exercise s...),Health

the heart during strenuous exercise, sets off a metabolic disturbance that slows down or halts the way fatty acid is normally utilized. The condition is called myocardial ischemia. The disturbance causes the heart to switch from fatty acid as its primary fuel to glucose. The new tracer test keys in on this metabolic disturbance and seemingly remembers the imprint of an episode of reduced blood flow long after the episode, a process that is called "ischemic memory." According to Dr. Dilsizian, "When you image the heart, you see lack of or reduced fatty acid metabolism."

Thirty-two patients from four centers were enrolled in the study. To determine the accuracy of images acquired by Zemiva, the researchers first identified patients who had evidence of myocardial ischemia on a treadmill using a standard tracer called thalium to produce SPECT images. Later, SPECT images of the same patients were taken with the new tracer (Zemiva) injected at rest (without repeating the treadmill exercise), but no more that 30 hours after the exercise thalium test. The exercise-induced thalium-based images were compared with the rest-injected Zimeva images. The comparison showed the two tracers pointed to the same abnormality in the heart in over 90 percent of the cases. This suggests that disturbances in fatty acid metabolism can persist up to 30 hours after an ischemic episode, which can be imaged with the new tracer Zemiva.

Additional testing will be required before this new agent can be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The research team also included Timothy M. Bateman, M.D., Cardiovascular Consultants, Kansas City, MO; Steven R. Bergmann, M.D., Ph.D., College of Physicans and Surgeons of Columbia University; Roger Des Prez, M.D., Oklahoma Heart Institute; Martin Y. Magram, M.D., University of Maryland Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine; Anne E. Goodbody, Ph.D., and John W. Babich, Ph.D., Molecular Insight
'"/>

Contact: Bill Seiler
bseiler@umm.edu
410-328-8919
University of Maryland Medical Center
26-Sep-2005

Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. Study, meta-analysis examine factors associated with death from heatstroke
2. Study says COPD testing is not measuring up
3. Study suggests loss of 2 types of neurons -- not just 1 -- triggers Parkinsons symptoms
4. Study reveals gaps in vaccine financing for underinsured children
5. Study suggests nonpharmaceutical interventions may be helpful in severe influenza outbreaks
6. Study shows radiofrequency ablation highly effective in treating kidney tumors
7. Study says normal but out-of-control enzyme may be culprit that signals some cells to become cancer
8. Study finds HIV protease inhibitor drugs may adversely affect the scaffolding of the cell nucleus
9. Study outlines how stroke, head injury can increase risk of Alzheimers disease
10. Study identifies new regulator of fat metabolism
11. Study shows Diachrome improves blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes