News From the Annual American Heart Association Scientific Sessions

New Research Helps ID Seniors With Greatest Risk of Cardiac Death

Non-Invasive Heart Scan Can Help Identify Those Seniors at Greatest Risk

Dec. 4, 2000 -- A non-invasive heart scan called Cardiolite  can help identify which senior adults are at the greatest risk for cardiac death, according to new research recently presented at the American Heart Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions in New Orleans. 

Researchers say the findings also suggest that more aggressive treatment may be warranted in those elderly patients with only mild cardiac ischemia, a decrease in blood supply to the heart caused by obstruction of the blood vessels, than is currently employed in clinical practice.

``These findings demonstrate that the ability of a non-invasive heart scan to accurately detect and assess the degree of cardiac ischemia is critical to early intervention and the long-term survival of these patients,'' said Leslee J. Shaw, Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. ``With this new clinical evidence, we are another step closer to improving the management of this often under-treated patient population.''

Researchers involved in the study evaluated the prognostic value of stress-induced ischemia in 15,081 patients referred for myocardial perfusion SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) with Cardiolite to Cedars- Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Patients' risks were determined by the amount of ischemia evident on SPECT and adjusted by decade of life from less than 60 to 80 years of age and older. Researchers found that the statistical threshold of increased risk of cardiac death decreased with advancing age. Specifically, 18 month survival was 99% for less than or equal to 70, 98% for 71-80 and 94% for more than 80 years (P less than 0.0001). Ischemia extent defined by Cardiolite was an independent estimator of cardiac death (P less than 0.0001).

``While physicians already know the clinical value of Cardiolite in the general population, this study further points to its ability to accurately predict risk of cardiac death and guide clinical decisions in older patients,'' said Daniel Berman, MD, a study investigator and director of nuclear cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. ``Furthermore, the findings of this study take on even greater significance when you consider that cardiac ischemia is the leading cause of death among elderly patients and that the elderly comprise an increasing percentage of the U.S. population.''

Cardiolite® is the leading cardiac stress imaging test in the United States. It is the only FDA-approved heart imaging agent to non-invasively evaluate the heart's pumping ability (function) and gauge the amount of blood flow to the heart muscle itself (perfusion) -- and thus is used to quickly assess whether a patient has already had a heart attack or is at risk for one in the future. Cardiolite is also the only technetium agent in the U.S. approved for acquiring diagnostic information for use in patient management decisions and for use with pharmacologic stress agents. Exercise and pharmacologic stress testing should be performed only under the supervision of a qualified physician. Cardiolite has been rarely associated with acute severe allergic events of angioedema and urticaria. The most frequently reported adverse events include headache, chest pain/angina, ST segment changes on ECG, nausea and abnormal taste and smell.

Cardiolite is marketed by the Cardiovascular and Imaging Business of DuPont Pharmaceuticals, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DuPont. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, DuPont Pharmaceuticals is a worldwide business that focuses on research, development and delivery of pharmaceuticals and imaging products to treat unmet medical needs in the fights against HIV, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system disorders, cancer and inflammatory diseases. For more information on Cardiolite, including the full prescribing information, contact 800-362-2668 or http://www.cardiolite.com.

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