Patients Who See Images of Clogged Arteries Stick to Treatment, Studies Reveal
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Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Two recent studies found that patients with clogged arteries who see images of their condition are more likely to adhere to treatments such as weight loss and cholesterol-lowering statins, Health Day reports.
Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease in America, yet researchers in the study said that out of patients who undergo statin therapy — drugs used to prevent heart attacks — only about 20 percent to 50 percent comply with the treatment.
Patients in both studies underwent tests that take clear, detailed pictures of the heart. Researchers found that patients with the most severe coronary artery disease who saw evidence of their condition were 2.5 times more likely to lose weight than those who saw little or no evidence of disease.
The studies are being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting in Chicago on Saturday.
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