KEY POINTS Metabolic diseases are independently associated with increased CVD risk. SPECT MPI is limited by soft-tissue attenuation in obese individuals; however, imaging techniques including prone and gated imaging, cardiocentric cameras, and attenuation correction improve diagnostic accuracy. Individuals with the…
KEY POINTS CMD can be diagnosed invasively or through multiple noninvasive methods, including PET and CMR MPI and Doppler echocardiography. CMD is highly prevalent in patients with concomitant CAD and in those with no obstructive CAD without (INOCA) and with…
KEY POINTS Nuclear imaging with PET and SPECT can be used to study the biologic mechanisms that underlie high-risk atherosclerotic plaque features. High-risk plaque features targeted by nuclear probes in atherosclerosis imaging research include vascular inflammation, active calcification, apoptosis, hypoxia,…
KEY POINTS Chest pain is one of the most common ED chief complaints and represents approximately 5% of all ED visits. Although triage of low-risk and high-risk patients who present to the ED is straightforward, many patients fall in the…
KEY POINTS Preoperative risk stratification should be a comprehensive assessment with careful evaluation of active cardiac conditions, clinical risk factors, and planned surgical intervention. Noninvasive ischemic evaluation should be pursued for those with high-risk features in which the results will…
KEY POINTS Coronary revascularization with CABG or PCI is a palliative intervention strategy associated with residual risks and the need for both secondary prevention lifestyle and medical therapies and recognition of the progressive nature of atherosclerotic events, which can be…
KEY POINTS Exercise testing with MPI is preferred for evaluating symptomatic patients with known CAD to establish a link between symptoms and perfusion defects and for optimal risk stratification. Exercise capacity, duration of exercise, exercise-induced ST segment changes, or anginal…
KEY POINTS The assessment of patients with new-onset stable chest pain includes a detailed history assessment and ECG. The current risk scores tend to overestimate the risk for CAD in patients with stable chest pain syndromes. In low-risk patients, exercise…
KEY POINTS Before ordering any test, especially one associated with ionizing radiation, we must ensure the appropriateness of the study and that the potential benefits outweigh the risks. The use of dual isotope approaches (rest 201 Tl and stress 99m…
KEY POINTS Radionuclide imaging artifacts are common and can lead to false positive results, decreasing the accuracy of the study. SPECT and PET imaging artifacts are related to equipment failure, reconstruction or postprocessing errors, or patient-related factors. Technologists and interpreting…