Health & Medicine, UK (Commonwealth Union) – Acute pressure changes in the heart can have various implications for its function and overall cardiovascular health. The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, and changes in pressure can affect its ability to efficiently deliver oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.
Scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) have utilized state-of-the-art imaging technology to gauge acute pressure alterations from within the heart.
This cutting-edge technology applies magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that brings about detailed pictures of the heart.
With the application of new technology, researchers found that pressure within the heart is elevated when administered a specific medication for running tests on the blood flow of the heart.
They further discovered how the medication known as adenosine, makes patients breathless as the test is conducted.
Researchers indicated that their findings may assist doctors enhance their diagnosis and track patients who have heart disease as well as heart failure.
Lead researcher Dr. Pankaj Garg, from the UEA, Norwich Medical School, indicated that as patients show symptoms of heart disease, the doctors apply a test known as heart MRI that can obtain detailed images of the heart and view how well it is functioning.
“Sometimes, patients are given a special medication called adenosine during the heart MRI test to see how blood flows through the heart, and it can cause breathlessness,” said Dr Garg who also indicated that they wanted to have an improved understanding of how the heart functions, and the reason patients become breathless when administered adenosine.
The UEA team collaborated with scientists at the University of Leeds and assessed 33 patients that were requested to take a stress cardiac MRI.
This test is conducted to assist in the assessment of the blood flow in the heart arteries, seeking out blockages.
The scientists captured images of the patient’s heart as it was resting and while it was functioning hard after being administered adenosine.
Dr. Garg indicated that Adenosine imitates the impact of exercise on the heart as the patient is lying down on the scanner, also stating that they discovered the reason it results in patients getting out of breath.
Postgraduate researcher Hosamadin Assadi, who is from the UEA, Norwich Medical School, as well indicated that they viewed the top chamber of the heart, known as the left atrium, and viewed the lower part of the heart, known as the left ventricle as well.
He also indicated that they applied advanced software to gauge and study the heart, and they also made an estimation of the pressures within the heart before and after the administration of the medication.
He further indicated that their study demonstrates that following the administration of adenosine for patients the heart’s left atrium became larger really quickly, prior to the blood flowing out.
“This is important as it shows that the previously published heart MRI pressure model is adaptable to acute changes in the heart and can be more broadly used to diagnose and monitor heart disease – in particular heart failure.”
“We also found that a measure called LVFP, which tells us about the pressure inside the heart, went up when the heart was working hard.”
The prior work of Dr. Garg demonstrated that a 4D heart MRI scan is capable of forming a detailed flow of images for the heart, and the way this non-invasive imaging method is capable of measuring the peak velocity of blood flow within the heart with accuracy and preciseness.
The scan takes just 6 to 8 minutes and is able to give an image of the heart valves and the flow within the heart in 3D, which assists doctors find out the most suitable course of treatment for patients, as indicated by researchers.
