People without heart disease symptoms should use caution in obtaining cardiac imaging exams
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 18:14
in Health & Medicine
At the radiation dose levels used in cardiac imaging exams, such as cardiac CT or nuclear medicine scans, the risk of potentially harmful effects from ionizing radiation are low. However, since the exact level of risk is not known, people without symptoms of heart disease should think twice about seeking, or agreeing to, these types of cardiac studies. This is the conclusion of an advisory committee convened by the American Heart Association's Council on Clinical Cardiology and Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention. A Mayo Clinic cardiologist led the committee.