New Test Created For Leg Artery Disease
University
of Virginia doctors are creating a diagnostic technique for peripheral
arterial disease, a condition affecting up to 12 million Americans.
Researchers say peripheral arterial disease,
or PAD, occurs when arteries taking blood to one's legs are blocked by
atherosclerotic plaque.
The incidence of PAD is expected to rise
in coming decades as the population ages.
By examining the physiology of patients who
exercised under a magnetic resonance imaging scanner, doctors at the University
of Virginia Health System devised a test to diagnose and follow peripheral
arterial disease.
The test shows promise in helping drug companies
test new PAD medications and might give doctors the ability to identify
patients at risk for developing PAD-related complications that require
stenting, bypass surgery or amputation, lead researcher Dr. Christopher
Kramer said.
The research is detailed in the Journal of
the American College of Cardiology, found on the Web at cardiosource.com/jacc/index.asp.
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