Research
Funding
Makes Reducing Vascular Disease Risks Possible
Imagine a pump pushing fluid through a flexible rubber pipe. Now, imagine that pipe accumulating debris inside it. As a result, the pipe stiffens and narrows, making it harder for the pump to push fluid through. Over time, the pump becomes overworked and eventually fails.
This exertion is what happens to the hearts of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a type of high blood pressure. Because it takes three to four years to diagnose, 50% percent of patients die within five years of their diagnosis鈥攁 rate worse than many cancers.
In a new clinical trial, Stephen Chan is testing a noninvasive 3D imaging tool that can diagnose the condition earlier and treat the disease before it's too late. Medical research breakthroughs like this technology can shift a patient's prognosis from life-threatening to life-saving.