New Heart Imaging Technology Brings Faster, More Accurate Answers

When people experience symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath or unusual fatigue, determining whether heart disease is the cause is a critical step. Overlake now has two new technologies to help diagnose or rule out heart conditions.

"These technologies give us a more complete picture of what's happening in the heart,” says Muaz Abudiab, MD, cardiologist at Overlake Clinics Cardiology. "That means more accurate diagnoses, faster answers for patients and greater confidence when deciding on the next steps in care." 

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Cardiac PET MPI: Measuring blood flow more precisely 

Cardiac PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) scans show how blood flows through the heart when it is under stress, helping doctors identify problems such as blocked or narrowed arteries. Unlike traditional stress tests that require exercise, this test uses medication, making it an option for people who cannot use a treadmill.

Overlake is the only hospital on the Eastside that offers this test. The benefits include:

• Less radiation.
• A faster test and faster results.
• Clearer, more detailed images, leading to fewer false positives and negatives.

“Stress PET MPI is helping us identify more cases of coronary microvascular dysfunction, a difficult-to-detect condition where the heart’s smallest blood vessels do not function properly,” Dr. Abudiab says. “This gives us more information to guide treatment and support better patient care.”

Coronary CTA: A noninvasive way to see the heart’s arteries

Coronary CT angiography (Coronary CTA) is an imaging test that takes pictures of the arteries that lead to the heart. It can capture 256 detailed images in a single snapshot, creating clear, accurate images of the coronary arteries while the heart is beating.

Previously, patients needed a catheter procedure to see inside the arteries, so coronary CTA offers a less invasive option and more detailed results. 

Cardiologists use this test alongside advanced software that helps determine whether narrowing or blockages are actually limiting blood flow in the arteries. This is particularly helpful for patients with moderate blockages, where it can be difficult to tell whether a narrowing is causing problems.

“That information can be the difference between recommending a procedure and treating a patient with medication alone,” says Dr. Abudiab. 

In the coming months, we’ll also implement an AI-enabled plaque analysis, providing even more insight into a patient's future heart disease risk.

“Our vision is to be a one-stop shop where patients can get comprehensive cardiac imaging and answers they can trust,” Dr. Abudiab says. “These advanced tools help us detect heart disease earlier, diagnose it more accurately, and create the best treatment plan for each patient.”

Your heart deserves exceptional care

Learn more about Overlake's Heart & Vascular Center. Using state-of-the-art technology and physicians with specialized training in cardiac imaging, Overlake provides expert diagnoses to start you on the appropriate treatment plan as soon as possible.