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Updated: Oct 1, 2026

In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Clinical assessment in ischaemic cardiomyopathy
1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Insights
Heart failure prevalence is rising, particularly from coronary artery disease. Identifying viable myocardium is crucial for assessing treatment options in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
Background:
- Heart failure and associated mortality have significantly increased in the US, primarily driven by coronary artery disease.
- While medical therapies like ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers improve outcomes for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, they offer modest benefits for severe ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
- Impaired LV function in these patients may not be irreversible, as suggested by improvements post-coronary revascularization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of diagnostic testing for myocardial viability.
- To emphasize the role of assessing viable myocardium in chronic coronary artery disease patients with LV dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing medical literature and clinical observations.
- Analysis of treatment outcomes following coronary revascularization procedures.
Main Results:
- Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart failure, accounting for up to 60% of cases.
- Medical therapies provide only modest improvements for severe ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
- Improvements in systolic function after revascularization suggest that LV dysfunction can be reversible.
Conclusions:
- Diagnostic testing for myocardial viability is essential for managing patients with chronic coronary artery disease and LV dysfunction.
- Identifying viable myocardium aids in clinical decision-making for patients with severe ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
Abstract:
Despite the trend of decreasing death rates attributable to ischaemic heart disease and stroke, the prevalence of heart failure and the resultant death rates in the United States have almost tripled between 1974 and 1994 [1]. Coronary artery disease is the commonest cause of heart failure in developed countries, accounting for up to 60% of cases. Advances in medical therapy, particularly the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers, have served to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to coronary artery disease [2-5]. However, these improvements have been modest, and despite these therapies, patients with severe ischaemic cardiomyopathy continue to have a high mortality when treated medically. It is increasingly clear that the impaired LV function in these patients is not always an irreversible process. Traditionally, these observations have been made following demonstrable improvements in systolic function after coronary revascularization procedures. Diagnostic testing to evaluate the presence and extent of viable myocardium has therefore become an important component of the clinical assessment of patients with chronic coronary artery disease and LV dysfunction.
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