The frontiers of nuclear cardiology research

摘要

Heart disease is the leading cause of death.Each year in the United States,more than 500,000 men and women die from coronary artery disease(CAD).CAD results from the narrowing of blood vessels that supply the heart.The blood vessels become narrow when fatty deposits build up inside the arterial wall.When the arteries become clogged,the blood flow to the myocardium is impaired and a heart attack can occur.Nuclear cardiology studies use noninvasive imaging techniques to assess myocardial blood flow.