A
Researchers at Oxford University say they have developed a new method that could predict heart attacks years before they happen. They use mathematical algorithms(演算法) to examine CT images of a patient's heart. One report on their study has been published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Most heart attacks result from a build-up of fatty tissue inside arteries(动脉) that carry blood from the heart to other areas of the body. Too much buildup can block this flow of blood and cause a heart attack. Currently, doctors use CT scans to learn when a sticky substance called plaque has already built up inside an artery. The new technology is designed to predict which arteries are at risk for future buildup. How much fat is present around heart arteries also can be measured. That fat changes when an artery becomes inflamed(发炎), serving as an early warning system for heart attacks.
Charalambos Antoniades, a professor of cardiovascula(心血管) medicine at Oxford University, believes the research shows this method could be very effective in getting patients to take early steps to prevent future problems.
“Say your arteries are inflamed and a narrowing will be developed five years down the line. So maybe you can start preventive measures to avoid this formation of plaques,” he said. “If you are able to identify inflammation in the arteries of the heart, then you can say which arteries will cause heart attacks.”
Antoniades added that researchers had yet to estimate exactly how many heart attacks could be prevented. But he said he believes the technique could help identify between 20 to 30 percent of people at risk of having one.
He added that the new technology will make such predictions easier because it works together with existing CT technology.
21. You can identify which arteries will cause heart attacks by .
A. locating where the inflamed arteries are
B. seeing a cardiovascular doctor
C. developing a new method to predict it
D. measuring how much fat is built up
22. This passage is probably from a .
A. medical textbook B. travel brochure
C. graduation paper D. science journal
23. What’s Artoniades’ attitude towards the new method?
A. Tolerant. B. Defensive. C. Critical. D. Favorable.
