Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed an ultrasound device that could help identify arterial plaque that is at high risk of breaking off and causing heart attack or stroke.
At issue is the plaque that builds up in arteries as we age. Some types of plaque are deemed “vulnerable,” meaning that they are more likely to detach from the artery wall and cause heart attack or stroke.
“Existing state-of-the-art technologies are capable of determining if plaque is present in the arteries, but can’t tell whether it’s vulnerable. And that makes it difficult to assess a patient’s risk,” says Dr. Paul Dayton, co-author of a paper on the new device and professor in the joint biomedical engineering department at NC State and Chapel Hill. “Our goal was to develop something that could effectively identify which plaques are vulnerable.”
There are two ultrasound techniques that can help identify vulnerable plaques, but both depend on the use of contrast agents called “microbubbles.”
The first technique is to identify “vasa vasorum” in arteries. These are clusters of small blood vessels that often infiltrate arterial plaque, and which are considered indicators that a plaque is vulnerable. When microbubbles are injected into an artery, they follow the flow of the blood. If vasa vasorum are present, the microbubbles will flow through these blood vessels as well, effectively highlighting them on ultrasound images.
The second technique is called molecular imaging, and relies on the use of “targeted” microbubbles. These microbubbles attach themselves to specific molecules that are more likely to be found in vulnerable plaques, making the plaques stand out on ultrasound images.
“The problem is that existing intravascular ultrasound technology does not do a very good job in detecting contrast agents,” says Dr. Xiaoning Jiang, an NC State associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering and co-author of the paper.
“So we’ve developed a dual-frequency intravascular ultrasound transducer which transmits and receives acoustic signals,” Jiang says. “Operating on two frequencies allows us to do everything the existing intravascular ultrasound devices can do, but also makes it much easier for us to detect the contrast agents – or microbubbles – used for molecular imaging and vasa vasorum detection.”
The prototype device has performed well in laboratory testing, but the researchers say they are continuing to optimize the technology. They hope to launch pre-clinical studies in the near future.
The Latest on: Detecting Risk for Heart Attack Stroke
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Detecting Risk for Heart Attack Stroke” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Detecting Risk for Heart Attack Stroke
- Heart Disease Newson May 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm
A Blood Test for Stroke Risk ... uses a smartphone to analyze heart movement and detect heart ... Unnecessary Use of Beta-Blockers After a Heart Attack? Apr. 8, 2024 — Half of all patients ...
- AI-enabled opportunistic medical scan interpretationon May 9, 2024 at 11:37 pm
Machine digital eyes can glean far more information from a scan than human experts can readily detect or accurately decipher. It may not be long before a chest x-ray report comes back with your risk ...
- Children With Higher Hypertension May Cause Heart Attack: Studyon May 7, 2024 at 1:17 am
Children and adolescents worldwide suffer from hypertension had higher risk of heart problem. Read on to know more - Newsx ...
- Momentary Fury Can Have Lasting Impact on Vascular Healthon May 6, 2024 at 11:19 am
New research highlights how brief episodes of anger can detrimentally heighten the susceptibility to heart disease and stroke.
- Brief anger could lead to heart attack, study findson May 5, 2024 at 1:20 pm
You might want to rein it in. A new study says getting mad even briefly causes blood vessels to contract, which raises blood pressure and increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke. In the ...
- Anger can increase heart attack risk, study finds: ‘Chronic insult to arteries’on May 3, 2024 at 1:21 pm
Feeling angry for as little as eight minutes a day could raise your chances of experiencing a cardiac event, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
- Being Angry Even For A Few Minutes Can Increase Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke, Study Findson May 3, 2024 at 6:44 am
Getting angry, even for just a few minutes, can change the functioning of blood vessels, which might make heart attacks and strokes more likely, a new study has found. The study, published in the ...
- Being Angry for Just 8 Minutes Could Increase Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Sayson May 1, 2024 at 4:08 pm
A new study from the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that those who suffer from anger management may have increased risk for heart attacks and strokes.
- Study shows frequent anger can increase the risk of a heart attack or strokeon May 1, 2024 at 1:29 pm
Anger might just be a deadly sin after all. A new study found that people who frequently get mad may have an increased risk of developing heart disease.
- Don’t go ballistic — study reveals how anger can increase heart attack, stroke riskon May 1, 2024 at 11:23 am
Studies have shown that mental well-being can positively or negatively affect a person’s health and risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Heart attacks and strokes typically occur when blood flow ...
via Bing News