People who got evidence of their cardiovascular health from coronary CT angiography scans led healthier lifestyles compared to those who got conventional cardiac risk scoring. That’s according to a new study in JAMA Cardiology that has intriguing ramifications not only for managing heart disease but also for the imaging-based wellness industry.
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer globally, accounting for one in seven deaths.
- The risk of heart disease can be managed through lifestyle changes like better diet and exercise, but getting patients to follow their doctors’ advice can be a challenge.
So researchers in the new study investigated whether data from a patient’s own coronary CT angiography exam would be a better motivational tool compared to simply calculating a risk score based on demographic factors like weight, BMI, and daily step count.
- They drew 400 participants from the SCOT-HEART 2 study of CT-based cardiovascular screening in Scotland.
Cardiovascular risk scores were calculated for one group using the ASSIGN criteria for 10-year cardiac event risk, while another group got CCTA scans and were shown their results.
- Interventions were recommended for patients in either group based on cardiac risk as calculated by either ASSIGN criteria or CCTA scans, ranging from no interventions to low-level statin therapy to high-intensity statin and enzyme inhibitor treatment.
At six months of follow up, researchers calculated how many participants met the U.K.’s NICE recommendations for diet, body mass index, smoking, and physical exercise, finding …
- Nearly three times more CCTA patients complied with NICE healthy lifestyle guidelines (17% vs. 6%).
- Fewer CCTA patients were told to start preventive therapy due to their risk (51% vs. 75%).
- And of these, CCTA patients were more likely to have followed advice to begin a therapeutic program (77% vs. 46%).
- There was no difference in behavior between CCTA patients who saw their own images and those who were told verbally of their results.
In one important fact, the researchers noted that the study was only designed to measure compliance.
- It did not assess any change in coronary events over time – these will be addressed in the larger SCOT-HEART 2 study.
The Takeaway
The new study offers powerful evidence that getting their own medical imaging results can drive patients to adopt lifestyle changes that lower their disease risk. In addition to informing cardiovascular disease management, it’s also possible to see these findings employed as part of the wellness screening programs that are becoming increasingly prevalent.
