What is rest imaging?
Rest imaging is the use of imaging techniques such as echocardiography, nuclear imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and cardiac computed tomography (CT) to assess cardiac structure and function in patients without signs or symptoms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It can provide valuable therapeutic guidance and prognostic information in patients without symptoms or signs of ventricular dysfunction or changing clinical status, especially in those with evidence of other forms of heart disease (e.g., hypertension, valvular). For example, echocardiography can identify left ventricular (LV) or left atrial dilation; identify aortic stenosis (a potential non-coronary artery disease (CAD) mechanism for angina-like chest pain); measure pulmonary artery pressure; quantify mitral regurgitation; identify an LV aneurysm; identify an LV thrombus, which increases the risk of death; and measure LV mass and the ratio of wall thickness to chamber radius, all of which predict cardiac events and mortality.