The new scans might completely eliminate the need for cardiac catheterizations done each year in the United States to check for clogged arteries, said Dr. Julie Miller of Johns Hopkins University. An estimated 1.3 million of cardiac catheterizations are done each year.
However, the controversial new super X-ray comes with a heavy dose of radiation that raises the risk of cancer. Many scientists believe that it can also lead to additional cases of cancers if the scans were widely used in the population.
Speaking at an American Heart Association conference on Monday, Dr. Michael Lauer of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute expressed his concerns over the use of scan to screen people with no symptoms, rather than the more limited use tested in the study.
As compared to the CT scans and balloon angioplasty to detect and treat heart disease in patients, the new super X-ray is a painless alternative Miller said.
However, Dr. Timothy Gardner, a Delaware cardiologist and heart association spokesman told the AP that the ability of the painless scans to rule out problems is "exciting," but questions remain about how they would do on a fuller range of patients.
The new scans cost under $1,000 while angiograms from catheterization cost $2,500 or more. However, it delivers 10 times more radiation to the patient than a standard angiogram. Though the technology has been in use, its accuracy hasn't been proved.
