Now, a 3D heart scan to fast-track diagnosis of heart disease

WION Web Team

LONDONUpdated: May 04, 2021, 06:28 PM IST

The research, published in the journal Circulation, found that people with a congenital heart defect who contracted COVID-19 were also more likely to require treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) or need a ventilator. (Representative Image). Photograph:(ANI)

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Currently, patients have an angiogram which involves going into the hospital for an invasive and time-consuming procedure. The innovation is part of the NHS goal to reduce heart attacks and strokes by 150,000 over 10 years.

The National Health Service of England has rolled out a new technology to “rapidly improve” the rate at which patients are diagnosed with life-threatening coronary heart disease.

The revolutionary technology can turn a regular CT scan of the heart into a 3D image, allowing doctors to diagnose them in just 20 minutes, NHS England said.

It added that some 100,000 people will be eligible to use the HeartFlow technology over the next three years.

This technology will mean patients can now be seen, diagnosed and treated much quicker, offering more convenient care, and helping NHS staff resume other services and tackle the backlog.

NHS Medical Director Stephen Powis said: “The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to cutting strokes, heart attacks and other major killers, as well as ensuring patients would benefit from cutting edge therapies and techniques.

“By rapidly improving the rate we diagnose and treat those with a heart condition we will save thousands of lives and ensure - as well as delivering the most successful vaccination programme in health service history - the NHS can deliver routine services even quicker than before the pandemic.”

(With inputs from agencies)