Quiz Plus CT Reveal Heart Attack Risk

German scientists have developed a simple point-scoring quiz for determining a patient's risk of heart attack. When combined with computed tomography (CT), the results are even more accurate.

The point-scoring system, called the Prospective Cardiovascular Muenster (PROCLAM) calculator, was developed by Gerd Assmann, M.D., of the University of Muenster (Germany). Dr. Assmann and colleagues studied more than 30,000 men and women in the Ruhr valley region. Of the 60 factors measured in all participants, eight turned out to be necessary to accurately predict heart attack risk. These factors are low-density lipoprotein level (LDL), high-density lipoprotein level (HDL), fasting triglyceride level, systolic blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and having a first-degree relative who had a heart attack before the age of 60.

When men in the top fifth of the scoring had a CT scan with the Somatom Sensation 16 from Siemens Medical Solutions (Erlangen, Germany), no fewer than 82% had lesions in their blood vessels indicative of coronary artery disease, while men in the bottom fifth of the scoring were free of such lesions. These results were presented at the 6th International Symposium on Global Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke, held in Florence, Italy.

"CT scanning for quantification of hard and soft coronary lesions in individuals at risk, as determined by the PROCAM score, is a valuable and noninvasive means of finding those patients who urgently require medical or even surgical treatment to prevent an imminent heart attack,” said Dr. Assmann. "Combining this score with Siemens' CT technology creates a powerful tool for identifying high-risk patients before heart attacks occur,” he added.




Related Links:
Siemens Medical Solutions
University of Muenster