Infraredx touted a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showing its imaging technology could help cardiologists assess a patient’s risk for suffering a heart attack or stroke.
The study used Infraredx’s intravascular near-infrared spectroscopy technology to evaluate levels of lipid-core-containing plaque in the arteries of 203 patients who exhibited signs of reduced blood flow to the heart. Researchers focused on arteries that had not been directly implicated in the patient’s condition.
Patients with a lipid-core burden index of ≥43 in non-implicated arteries were 4 times more likely to suffer a major cardiovascular event within 12 months, according to the study.
“Our findings suggest that the use of NIRS imaging to identify and quantify lipid-core plaque in the non-culprit arteries, which would otherwise remain undetected by coronary angiography, could be a viable tool to assess the vascular vulnerability of the larger coronary tree,” said lead author Dr. Rohit Oemrawsingh of the Thoraxcenter in Rotterdam, Holland, in prepared remarks. “The findings of our investigator-initiated, prospective study seem promising, but external validation, preferably in a larger sample size, is a fundamental prerequisite before any of our conclusions might be considered for possible future clinical implications."
According to Infraredx, lipid-core plaque is believed to be prone to rupture, which can trigger heart attacks. The plaque can only be detected through NIRS imaging.
Infraredx markets the TVC Imaging System, which uses NIRS to detect lipid-core plaque along with intravascular ultrasound to evaluate blood vessel structures. The system is being used in 2 large-scale studies of coronary plaque and patient vulnerability, the Lipid-Rich Plaque Study and the Prospect II/Absorb Study. It will also be used in another major study called the Veterans Affairs Oracle Study.
“This study by Oemrawsingh and colleagues is an important step forward to support the use of direct measurement of lipid in the coronary artery wall to determine the risk of future coronary events,” co-founder & chief medical officer Dr. James Muller said in a statement. “The identification of patients with an elevated risk of a new adverse coronary event in the year post-PCI, despite receiving standard medical therapy, may inform future studies of novel pharmaceutical agents.”
In October, Infraredx expanded a business alliance with medical technology titan Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG). Under the resale deal, Philips will sell Infraredx’s TVC Imaging System alongside Philip’s Allura X-ray device.