Echocardiography Helps Identify Heart Disease

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In another study, Dr. Saritha Dodla and colleagues from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha found that by using echocardiography, they were able to identify diabetics who were at risk for heart disease even though they had no symptoms.

In the study, the researchers looked at 149 diabetic patients and followed them for an average of almost two years. They found that 25 of the patients had abnormalities in their cardiac arteries. Of these patients, 67 percent were alive after two years, compared with 72 percent of the normal patients.

By looking at heart abnormalities, doctors may be able to diagnose and treat more diabetes patients with blockages of the heart arteries, the researchers concluded.

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In a third study, Dr. Jared J. Wyrick of Oregon Health & Science University, and colleagues found that by using echocardiography along with a contrast agent that makes abnormalities easier to see, they were able to identify patients who may be having a heart attack, compared to patients with low-risk chest pain.

In the study, researchers used myocardial contrast echocardiography to evaluate 957 patients complaining of chest pain. They found that by using myocardial contrast echocardiography, 55 percent of the patients could be discharged from the emergency department, thus avoiding admittance charges and follow-up tests. These patients could have saved about $700, plus the inconvenience of hospital stays, the researchers reported.

In the final presentation, Dr. John Postley of Columbia University and colleagues found that by using Screening Vascular Ultrasound, a type of echocardiography, they could identify patients with potential heart disease before symptoms appeared.

In the study, Postley's team used the technique to evaluate 398 patients, ages 33 to 79. The researchers found that 171 patients had plaque build-up in the arteries of the neck and thigh. Of these, 25 percent of men and 35 percent of women were at risk for heart disease.

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