Recent research points to unstable, rather than stenotic plaque, as a major cause of heart attacks. Cardiologists, as much as entrepreneurs and large companies, are therefore driving the creation of new cardiac detection platforms based on characterizing arterial plaque in order to identify patients that are unaware that they are at risk of suffering a myocardial infarction. First-generation detection tools are well along in development, but the scientific understanding about plaque is evolving so rapidly, technologies may be obsolete by the time they are ready for commercialization. Finally, looking for heart attack risk in symptomless patients means screening apparently healthy patients based on risk factors. Clinicians aren't yet prepared for the treatment implications and payers aren't ready for the economic burden of widespread screening, and this presents one of the greatest challenges for companies introducing new plaque detection technologies.
by Mary Stuart
Heart disease, "the silent killer," is even more silent than we
thought. 50% of heart attacks occur in patients who didn't
experience any symptoms. Furthermore, despite advances in
revascularization procedures such as angioplasty, stenting and
coronary artery bypass grafting procedures, overall mortality from
acute coronary syndrome has not significantly decreased in recent
years. In the United States, 500,000 people die from heart attacks
ever year
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