MRS: a noninvasive window into cardiac metabolism

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Biochemistry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• A healthy heart relies on efficient energy production via adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
• Metabolic dysfunctions are implicated in various myocardial diseases.
• Noninvasive in vivo assessment of cardiac metabolism is crucial for disease monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review in vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) for assessing cardiac metabolism in humans and animals.
• To highlight the role of MRS in understanding metabolic disease mechanisms and clinical outcomes.
• To discuss current and emerging applications of cardiac MRS.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes various MR techniques including cardiac (31)P-MRS, (1)H-MRS, hyperpolarized (13)C-MRS, and Dixon MRI.
• Focuses on in vivo studies in both human subjects and experimental animal models.
• Employs MRS for repeated measurements to track disease progression and treatment response.

Main Results:

• MRS can noninvasively monitor in vivo changes in cardiac metabolism.
• MRS has demonstrated potential in predicting clinical heart failure and mortality.
• Various MR techniques offer insights into the relationship between cardiac metabolism and disease.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac MRS is a valuable tool for investigating the link between metabolism and heart disease.
• Further advancements in scan time and signal-to-noise ratio are necessary for broad clinical adoption.
• Ongoing developments in hardware and techniques promise enhanced future clinical applications of MRS.