Researchers develop new method to predict heart attacks

A team of researchers from the UK has developed a new method of predicting heart attacks that could be significantly more accurate than existing processes. The new tool could make it easier for doctors to decide which patients require a prescription to buy Plavix.

The new method involves combining results from two separate test already used to diagnose cardiovascular problems. First, the researchers took CT scans of patients' coronary arteries to measure calcification. This method is effective at determining current levels of plaque buildup, but cannot tell if fat is calcifying in an ongoing process.

Next, the team injected patients with molecular tracers that are visible on PET scans. The tracers used are only activated when the calcification process is ongoing. By combining these two measures, researchers were able to measure how much fatty buildup participants had in their veins and whether or not this fat is was accumulating continuously.

The study proved that this method provided an accurate prediction of participants' future heart attack risk. The researchers said that improving physicians' predictive abilities could enable them to recommend treatments sooner, when they are likely to be more effective.