High Radiation for Some Heart Patients

Some heart patients get dangerous levels of radiation from tests, a new study suggests. The study included 1,000 people. All were heart patients at Columbia University Medical Center. Medical records were used to add up each person’s total radiation dose from tests. These included an advanced stress test called myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). This test uses a radioactive substance to highlight blood flow patterns to the heart. Nearly 1 out of 3 people who got this test received at least 100 millisieverts of radiation from all tests. That dose is considered high enough to possibly increase cancer risk. About 1 out of 9 people received at least double that dose. Nearly 1 out of 5 people in the study received 3 or more MPI tests. The study was presented at a conference. Reuters Health news service wrote about it November 15.