Interventional Cardiologists and Researchers at St. Francis Hospital Lead Research Published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology

A team of cardiologists and researchers at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center (Roslyn, NY) recently conducted a groundbreaking study to assess the effectiveness of the latest advanced computed tomography (CT) scanner in diagnosing heart disease. 

Drs. Ziad Ali, Omar Khalique, Doosup Shin, and Koshiro Sakai conducted the research to assess the effectiveness of the state-of-the-art, photon counting CT scanner (Naeotom Alpha). They reviewed all patients who underwent coronary CT angiography at St. Francis Hospital from 2022 to 2023 and found that the Naeotom Alpha CT scanner delivered significantly more accurate diagnoses of heart artery blockages, with a higher level of precision compared to conventional CT scanners.

“This means better care for our patients, with more accurate diagnoses and fewer unnecessary invasive procedures,” said Ziad Ali, MD, DPhil, director of the DeMatteis Cardiovascular Research Institute at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center and the co-principal investigator and author of this study. “Coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography is a key tool for identifying coronary artery disease or blockages in the heart's blood vessels. St. Francis Hospital is proud to be one of the only few centers in the U.S. offering the latest and most advanced CT technology, the photon counting CT scanner (Naeotom Alpha, Siemens), dedicated to evaluate for heart conditions. This new CT scanner provides much sharper images compared to traditional CT scanners and is expected to become the future standard in heart imaging.”

These important findings were presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) international cardiology conference on October 28, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The research was also published in the prestigious Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), the official journal of the American College of Cardiology, highlighting its significance in the field of cardiology.

“The St. Francis Hospital cardiology and research team remains committed to advancing the field and improving patient care,” said Dr. Charles Lucore, president, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center. “By utilizing the most advanced technology available, our teams are able to provide our patients with medical interventions that allow them to return to their lives with hope and a healthy outlook.”

Learn more about cardiac imaging at St. Francis Hospital.