Nuclear Medicine Helps Heart Patients

According to the U.S. Division For Heart Disease and Prevention, 700,000 people die from heart disease every year, making it the leading cause of death in both men and women.

While changes in diet and exercise can help prevent heart disease, early detection through routine doctor’s visits can help patients live longer, healthier lives.

Here are a few ways our students can help patients prevent heart disease from taking their lives:

According to DotMed News, Nuclear Medicine Technologists can use a “nuclear medicine technique and molecular imaging to see programmed cell loss—the body's normal way of getting rid of unneeded or abnormal cells which may help in early identification of those individuals who are at risk of developing heart failure.”

According to Science Daily, Nuclear Medicine Technologists can “use multi-detector computed tomography (CT) imaging along with a novel contrast agent know as N1177 to detect dangerous, high-risk plaque which cause heart attack and stroke.”

According to DOE Medical Sciences, Nuclear Medicine Technologists help doctors “decide whether a patient needs angioplasty, bypass surgery, or changes in lifestyle” based on the results of the imaging tests.

Come back on Wednesday as we discuss how nuclear medicine helps cancer patients.