19/01/2009

New scan could tell the story behind heart attacks, says BHF

In response to a study – funded partly by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) - published today in the journal Radiology, which for the first time shows bleeding inside the heart after people have suffered a heart attack, Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the BHF said:

“For centuries we have relied on pathologists undertaking post mortems to tell us what has happened inside damaged tissues. The power of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is that it can look inside organs of living patients without the need for an operation. We are now at the start of the process of understanding what this information is telling us.”

For more information please contact the BHF press office on 020 7554 0164or 07764 290381 (out of hours) or email newsdesk@bhf.org.uk

(1) Issued in response to “Reperfusion hemorrhage following acute myocardial infarction: Assessment with T2 mapping and effect on measuring the area at risk” Radiology, 19 January 2009 Corresponding author: Declan O’Regan, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London.

- The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is the nation’s heart charity, dedicated to saving lives through pioneering research, patient care, campaigning for change and by providing vital information. But we urgently need help. We rely on donations of time and money to continue our life-saving work. Because together we can beat heart disease.

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