Diagnostic imaging could help to develop new treatments for
patients who are suffering with heart valve disease. New
research from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Centre of
Research Excellence at the University of Edinburgh has opened up
the possibility of alternative methods of dealing with aortic
valve stenosis. State-of-the-art PET scans were used at the
research institute to assess 121 people with the disease. The
study found that there may be biological indictors to the
development of the disease and doctors could focus their
treatments on preventing the hardening of the valve before
aortic valve stenosis developed. Currently, patients with the
heart condition face no alternative other than to undergo a
surgical procedure, as there are no drugs which have been proved
to be effective. The BHF states that heart valve disease causes
the blood flow to be blocked as the valve does not fully open.
It is thought that the illness affects around one in 20 people
in the UK. © Adfero Ltd Private PET scanning new