Science Codex - "Advanced Visualization Techniques Could Change The Paradigm For Diagnosis And Treating Heart Disease"
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine are pioneering new ultrasound techniques that provide the first characterization of multidirectional blood flow in the heart. By focusing on fluid dynamics – specifically, the efficiency with which blood enters and exits the heart's left ventricle – the researchers believe they can detect heart disease even when traditional measures show no sign of trouble. The ultrasound tools cardiologists use today often fail to detect changes in the heart until there is overt dysfunction. Blood flow imaging, however, may provide better clues in diagnosing heart failure. The computer-aided visual study of these abnormalities could dramatically improve the assessment of patients with heart failure and lead to a fresh understanding of normal and abnormal pumping and circulatory function. "With visualization, we are looking at the ultimate measure of the efficiency of the heart – how the blood is brought in and how it is sent out," said Jagat Narula, MD, PhD, Director of Cardiovascular Imaging at Mount Sinai and the senior author of the paper. Learn more