July
2002
Identifying
Persons at High Risk For Diabetes
Glucose
Tolerance Tests For Those Hospitalized With Heart Attacks
Test
Can Detect 'Silent' Heart Risk in Diabetics
Online
Resources
In
Other Diabetes Health News:
Test
Can Detect 'Silent' Heart Risk in Diabetics
People
with diabetes who show no symptoms of heart disease during stress
tests may still be susceptible to a heart condition that can only
be detected by a sophisticated imaging technique, Swiss researchers
say.
Single-photon
emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging
(MPI) could catch "silent" myocardial ischemia, a deficiency of
blood supply to the heart muscle caused by an obstruction or constriction
of the coronary arteries. It is a leading cause of death among people
with diabetes, and can progress without warning to irreversible
cardiac damage.
In
a study presented recently at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's
annual meeting in Los Angeles, the Swiss researchers say SPECT MPI
offers a better way to detect myocardial ischemia in people with
diabetes.
The
study included 189 people with diabetes who were analyzed for stress-induced
ischemia. They were divided into two groups -- those who had previously
experienced angina (chest pain) and those who had not.
To
induce stress, participants rode an exercise bicycle. Those unable
to exercise were given dipyridamole, a drug used in medical tests
to check blood flow to the heart. The researchers then compared
the ability of electrocardiogram (ECG) and SPECT MPI to detect stress-induced
ischemic defects.
The
SPECT MPI detected abnormalities in 56 percent of the study participants,
compared to just 14 percent using the ECG.
They
add that people with diabetes need to be aware that, even if they
do not have chest pains during stress tests, they may still be at
risk for cardiovascular disease. SPECT MPI may be able to detect
that risk, the researchers say.
Always
consult your physician for more information.
Online
Resources
American
Diabetes Association
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The
Lancet
National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Society
of Nuclear Medicine
