A Major MRI Step Forward

We always like to know what kind of risks we are facing in the future as far as our health is concerned. Today we live longer because of advances preventive medicine. It doesn’t matter what the condition is, in most cases it can either be treated or completely avoided. It’s because of diagnostic imaging that we are able to see certain diseases coming and as a result we can treat them.

Diagnostic imaging can be a CT Scan, an X-Ray, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The MRI, in particular, has taken a major step forward in indicating future heart attack risk. The online journal Radiology published the findings of a study where it was stated that “MRI discovery and measurements of atherosclerotic areas in the abdominal aorta indicate a future heart attack or stroke.” Heart disease is still to this day one of the leading causes of death in the world. While before people were under the impression that heart disease was only caused by poor dietary habits and lack of exercise, this development helps us better understand causes for heart attacks and strokes.

The study itself covered MRI’s of over 2000 healthy adults with a mean age of 44. The study was conducted over a period of nearly 8 years. Through that period of time over 140 participants experienced adverse cardiovascular events, 34 of which were fatal. This development in the study was not just an eye opener but also something of a wake-up call in terms of what’s considered healthy.