Researchers have developed a new method for diagnosing coronary heart disease with 33 per cent higher accuracy rate as compared with conventional methods.


Developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the new technology is called Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR) measurement system and has been approved by the China Food and Drug Administration, Xinhua news agency reported on August 6. Based on the computational analysis of an X-ray coronary angiography image, the system obtains the QFR, which can help identify coronary heart disease.

The new method does not require additional surgeries or drugs, the report said. "The new method will assist doctors in identifying coronary heart disease and assist in making treatment plans, such as whether the patient needs a heart stent implantation," Chen Yazhu from the varsity was quoted as saying.

Coronary angiography is the most conventional diagnostic method of coronary heart diseases. However, the internationally recognized high-precision assessment technology is expensive and requires complex surgical procedures. A clinical study, led by Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, showed that the new method could assess coronary function within four minutes, and had a 33 per cent higher accuracy rate as compared with a coronary angiography.