ATLANTA, GA, - GE Healthcare, a recognized leader in cutting-edge cardiovascular imaging technology, has announced its sponsorship of the first in a series of multi-center, multi - patient trials to further validate the clinical efficacy of 64 - slice computed tomography (CT) as a method for the diagnosis and treatment planning of cardiovascular disease. This multi - center trial involving the company's breakthrough LightSpeed VCT system demonstrates GE's efforts to re-imagine cardiovascular disease detection by providing non-invasive, lower - cost diagnostic capabilities to combat the number one killer of American men and women.

Cardiac catheterization, the current gold standard for diagnosing CAD, is an invasive and costly procedure that can impose unnecessary stress to patients. Data from many sources have indicated that as many one-third of the patients who undergo an invasive diagnostic catheterization procedure do not present with significant coronary artery disease and can often be managed with therapeutics and lifestyle alterations, rather than with the placement of interventional devices such as stents. The intent of these multi-center, multi -patient trials is to determine what role VCT can play in minimizing non-interventional catheterization as well as how VCT can be used to improve the early diagnosis of otherwise occult coronary artery disease.

Physicians currently using CT as a diagnostic tool for coronary artery disease detection are finding that many costly diagnostic catheterization procedures could be circumvented by utilizing advanced CT systems, such as GE's LightSpeed VCT for patients presenting with intermediate cardiac risks. The non - invasive clinical application enabled by the VCT is just one example of GE's commitment to an "early health" model of patient care, focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention.
"GE is dedicated to developing innovative technologies that improve the entire patient experience, from early and more accurate diagnosis to better treatment and management of cardiovascular diseases," said Bill Clarke, M.D., chief medical and technology officer, GE Healthcare. "The LightSpeed VCT sets a new technological standard in cardiac image quality and enables cardiologists to non-invasively visualize the human heart more clearly than ever before. We are excited to partner with industry-leading cardiologists in the design and implementation of the first in a series of these very significant multi-center clinical trials."

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