Obesity and the challenges of noninvasive imaging for the detection of coronary artery disease

Siok P Lim; Punitha Arasaratnam; Benjamin J Chow; Rob S Beanlands; Renée C Hessian

doi:10.1016/j.cjca.2014.12.003

Obesity and the challenges of noninvasive imaging for the detection of coronary artery disease

Can J Cardiol. 2015 Feb;31(2):223-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2014.12.003. Epub 2014 Dec 9.

Authors

Siok P Lim¹, Punitha Arasaratnam¹, Benjamin J Chow², Rob S Beanlands², Renée C Hessian³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
² Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Radiology, the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
³ Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: rhessian@ottawaheart.ca.

PMID: 25661558
DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2014.12.003

Abstract

Obesity is a significant health problem that could potentially lead to increased cardiovascular risk. Noninvasive imaging plays an important role in the evaluation of cardiovascular symptoms and risk of these patients. Selection of the appropriate test in the diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease in this unique population is important. In this article, we focus on the strengths, limitations, and recommendations of the various noninvasive cardiac imaging modalities available in the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease. We have suggested an algorithm to help direct investigation. Ultimately, patient management should be individualized based on clinical judgement, test availability, and local expertise.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Coronary Artery Disease / diagnosis*
Coronary Artery Disease / etiology
Diagnostic Imaging / methods*
Humans
Obesity / complications*
Reproducibility of Results