Positron emission tomography (PET) scans can be used to evaluate whether parts of the heart muscle (myocardium) are alive but receiving inadequate blood supply. This information can be helpful in identifying the best course of treatment. This type of study involves the use of two radiotracers: rubidium-82 (to measure blood flow) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose or FDG (to measure whether heart muscle cells are alive). Currently, each of these radiotracers is imaged at separate times, several hours apart. The purpose of this study is to evaluate methods that could allow the entire study to be performed at one time.
Positron emission tomography (PET) scans can be used to evaluate whether parts of the heart muscle are alive but receiving inadequate blood supply. This study involves the use of two radiotracers that will measure whether heart muscle cell are alive and quantify the blood supply to the heart muscle.