Technique helps manage heart patients

A method refined by Siemens Medical Solutions for assessing a patient's risk for coronary heart disease was presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting. The technique combines use of the Prospective Cardiovascular Muenster Calculator and a multidetector CT examination of the heart to identify individuals at high risk for a future coronary event according to their PROCAM Score. The technique was refined in collaboration with the International Task Force for Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. The PROCAM Calculator looks at factors that contribute to the risk of heart attack: age, gender, blood lipids, blood pressure, family history, smoking, and diabetes. The score helps quantify risk reduction via lifestyle adjustments and LDL cholesterol-targeted treatment. Multidetector cardiac CT exams visualize constrictions and plaque lesions inside the coronary vessels, potentially allowing for early, targeted treatment of high-risk individuals.