According to the Medical College of Wisconsin’s HealthLink, heart disease is the Number 1 killer of both men and women in the United States. In fact, it kills more women than all types of cancers combined. But with more advanced equipment and technology, heart disease can be diagnosed and treated earlier.

One way is with dedicated MR equipment in emergency departments. “When patients come into the emergency room with chest pains, time is of the essence,” explains Dr Warren Manning, a Harvard medical professor. MR offers superior spatial resolution and a comprehensive assessment of the heart, which allows physicians to detect heart attacks faster than other techniques, leaving time to administer essential treatment before the patient’s condition worsens.

Second, nuclear cardiology has become the most important tool in evaluating patients for coronary artery disease. A nuclear cardiology exam also can determine an individual’s risk for a future heart attack as well as measure the extent of damage from a previous attack.

Finally, to increase efficiencies in workflow and improve the bottom line, many facilities are converting their cardiac cath labs from film-based arenas to completely digital operations. Less time spent developing and pulling film means more time for patient care. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, for example, completed its transition to digital in 1997 and has been a DR facility ever since.

The articles in this Special Section highlight the importance of healthy hearts and how technology is helping physicians with diagnosis and treatment in cardiovascular care. Read more about the benefits of cardiac MR. Explore the rapidly growing field of nuclear cardiology. And discover more about DR in the cardiac cath lab. Here’s to your health!