Using PET-CT scans to predict heart attacks and study atherosclerosis

Non-invasive Imaging of Human Coronary Atherothrombosis

Heart attacks occur when a fatty plaque in a coronary artery ruptures, and a blood clot forms inside the artery. BHF Professor David Newby and his team in Edinburgh are pushing the boundaries of imaging technology so that we can see and understand the processes that cause this to happen. Their high-tech approach will provide insights to help us predict who is at risk of a heart attack, and find treatments to stop or reverse coronary artery disease. Professor Newby’s team uses a combined imaging technology, called PET-CT scanning, to visualise the plaque in an artery that is likely to rupture. They do this by detecting a particular radioactive “tracer” or chemical that is taken up by the affected artery wall cells. The most dangerous plaques take up the tracer voraciously, which lights up the scan in that location. In this programme, the team will advance the technique towards predicting the risk of a heart attack and understanding how to prevent it. They will develop a new radiotracer that can reveal blood clots as they form and dissolve in coronary arteries. They will study these processes in rats and human volunteers, to see if they can detect when a heart attack may occur. If successful, this approach will enable high-risk patients to be identified and it will help to test new treatments to see if they can stop the disease developing inside our arteries.