Earlier this week we took a look at the CT Angiography which can be used to screen for risk of stroke. (Read the whole article here.) The primary focus of that article was to point out that there are different types of scanning technology that can be used to do this procedure and that they emit different levels of radiation which patients may want to know about before getting this screening done. There is a new study out which specifically addresses the fact that CTA technology is challenged by the bodies of obese patients.
"Obese patients have specific challenges: They have multiple risk factors and comorbidities, they are difficult to assess clinically, and ... also it's not so easy to peform conventional angiography due to their body constitution," he said. "It would be nice if CT had some role in the evaluation of these pateints' coronary arteries."
This is a particular conundrum because of the fact that obese patients are more prone to risk of heart disease and stroke than are their normal-weight counterparts. As such, this type of screening is even more important to this population and yet it may be less effective or less useful for this population. Researchers are interested in finding ways to improve screening technology of this kind so that it can be used with a wider range of the population.
Question of the Day: Who do you think should be responsible for making changes in this area of technology?
