Edinburgh Imaging

Heart / cardiovascular

Cardiovascular disease is a major health problem & our research focuses on myocardial infarction, myopathies & inflammation, coronary heart disease, arterial thrombosis, peripheral artery disease, stroke & angina, plus underlying causes such as arthrosclerosis.

Mouse heart in 3D
Overview

Advanced non-invasive imaging techniques (CT, MR, PET-CT, PET-MR) now allow detailed investigation of the cardiovascular system providing information with respect to anatomy, tissue composition, function, flow & disease activity. This allows us to answer a wide range of clinical research questions, using the optimal imaging modality for the research question at hand. This ranges from detailed questions regarding cardiovascular pathophysiology, to multi-centre randomised controlled trials investigating whether novel imaging techniques can improve patient care & clinical outcomes (e.g SCOTHEART, EVOLVED).

 

For further details please visit the Centre for Cardiovascular Research

 

Edinburgh Imaging Staff with a focus on Cardiovascular Research

 

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a serious condition whereby the aorta swells & can burst, without warning; it is the thirteenth commonest cause of death in the United Kingdom.

Aortic stenosis

Aortic stenosis is a problem whereby the exit from the heart’s left ventricle into the aorta, is narrowed & may affect the valve separating the two structures, or the tissues above or below the valve.

Carotid artery imaging

Edinburgh Imaging's carotid artery imaging page.

Coronary artery disease

Coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction are a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Our research seeks to improve our pathological understanding and to improve patient assessment, care and clinical outcomes using multi-modality state-of-the-art imaging technique.

Myopathies & inflammation

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle, which can affect the heart’s size, shape, structure & function. Cardiomyopathies are frequently inherited. Other myopathic changes can alter aortic & other blood vessel wall structure.