Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in most developed countries, claiming almost one million lives in the U.S. in 2000. According to the American Heart Association, annual costs of diagnosis and treatment of CVD will exceed $403 billion in the U.S. in 2006¹. Although improved understanding of the effects of diet, lifestyle, weight, smoking, and other factors have reduced early mortality, the majority of the population will develop some form of CVD during their lifetime. In 2003, CVD was the primary cause of hospitalization in the U.S. and the primary diagnosis for 6.8 million in-hospital patients².

Cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and ischemia may cause permanent damage to the heart and blood vessels, leading to chronic heart failure, angina, or myocardial infarction (heart attack). For a patient with cardiovascular disease, primary diagnosis and treatment are performed via interventional cardiology in a cardiac catheterization lab. Cardiac catheterization is the insertion of small tubes (catheters) through arteries and/or veins to the heart. Contrast agent is injected through the catheter in order to visualize coronary arteries and cardiac chambers with real-time x-ray imaging. The contrast agent is opaque to x-rays, and provides good image contrast as it flows into the coronary artery system or the cardiac chambers. This procedure produces an image referred to as an angiogram, which is the gold standard for diagnosing cardiovascular disease.

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¹ American Heart Association, Heart disease and stroke – 2006 Update
² American Heart Association, Heart disease and stroke – 2006 Update