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Updated: Sep 10, 2025

Signal Acquisition, Score Interpretation, and Economics of a Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Test for Coronary Artery Disease
06:16

Signal Acquisition, Score Interpretation, and Economics of a Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Test for Coronary Artery Disease

Published on: August 9, 2024

525

Cost-effectiveness of CMR over MPS-SPECT: a systematic review of recent trends for diagnosing CAD

Ben Kluge1, James Harris2, Irene Sánchez-Collado2

  • 1Bayer AG Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany.

Journal of Medical Economics
|August 21, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is often more cost-effective than myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS-SPECT) for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). Further research is needed to confirm these economic benefits across various healthcare settings.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Health Economics
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • The economic impact of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS-SPECT) for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) is not well-established.
  • Symptomatic individuals with low-to-intermediate pre-test probability (PTP) of CAD require effective non-invasive diagnostic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the cost-effectiveness of CMR and MPS-SPECT as first-line diagnostic modalities for CAD.
  • To evaluate the health economic impacts of CMR versus MPS-SPECT in diagnosing symptomatic patients with low-to-intermediate PTP of CAD.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review of multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, NHS EED) was conducted.
  • Studies published between January 1992 and January 2023, focusing on the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and China, were included.
  • Risk of bias was assessed using the Drummond checklist.

Main Results:

  • In the USA, CMR was consistently more cost-effective than MPS-SPECT for low-to-intermediate PTP CAD patients, with lower resource use and total costs.
  • In Europe, CMR demonstrated cost-effectiveness in Germany, while the UK showed mixed cost savings with increased quality-adjusted life-years.
  • Only thirteen reports were identified, with just three providing cost-effectiveness outcomes, indicating a need for more research.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest that cost savings associated with CMR over MPS-SPECT for low-to-intermediate PTP CAD patients warrant prioritized investment.
  • Further confirmatory research is essential due to the limited number of identified cost-effectiveness analyses.
Abstract

Keywords:
Coronary artery diseaseI10I19cardiovascular magnetic resonancecost-effectivenesshealth economic analysisischemic heart diseasemyocardial perfusion scintigraphy by single photon emission computed tomography

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