New study touts benefits of ultrasound imaging to predict heart attack risk

A new study published in the September issue of Radiology says that ultrasound equipment can be used as an excellent predictor of heart attack risk. The study comprised 1,268 patients and used ultrasound imaging to examine the carotid arteries and look for signs of disease. The results of the long-term study showed that patients with significant plaque build-up went on to experience a higher number of heart attacks.
"This technique will give us additional information to use in selecting patients that need aggressive treatment," said lead researcher Markus Reiter, M.D., from the Department of Angiography and Interventional Radiology at Medical University Vienna in Austria. The study was reported in a news release published on EurekAlert.com.