Cardiac PET Proved its Success in KAMC
Due to the outbreak of cardiovascular diseases leading factors such as (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking and sedentary lifestyle) worldwide and in the Kingdom, NGHA's specialists had to undertake studies to reduce this phenomenon as well as finding solutions that can eliminate this disease or reduce its severity.
The kingdom is currently classified among the top countries globally with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus which resulted in an increase of clogged arteries cases. Thus, accurate diagnostic devices for detecting coronary artery blockage before resulting in a heart attack or sudden death was in high demand. As a result, NGHA implemented a strategic decision in 2011 to introduce stress testing using Heart Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for the detection of coronary artery disease which resulted to be a success after a large number tests compared to other conventional tests.
The currently available tests have significant limitations including low diagnostic accuracy and high rate of false positive studies. In addition, some tests are associated with increased radiation exposure.
Stress testing using cardiac PET has been demonstrated to have better diagnostic accuracy than other old tests for the detection of blockages of the coronary arteries.
Scientists consider it the most accurate test available nowadays to detect coronary artery disease, especially in patients who suffer from obesity.
The test is usually completed in 30 minutes, in comparison to a much longer duration with SPECT imaging (four hours for a same day protocol).
Over the past 7 to 8 years, cardiac PET has been increasingly used for routine clinical evaluation of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease in the United States and Europe.
In May 1st, 2011, the first 82Rubidium cardiac PET stress test was performed at King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh. However, no other centers in Saudi Arabia nor the Middle East are routinely performing this test until today.
To date, more than 3,300 cardiac PET tests have been performed to assess myocardial ischemia at NGHA which is much higher than the number of tests done in some of the leading institutions and universities in North America and Europe.
Most of these tests were abnormal (53%) and helped physicians make the appropriate clinical decision to help patients and treat their clinical conditions.