Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Outperforms Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

Nuclear stress testing is widely used to evaluate patients for potential coronary artery disease (CAD), whereas cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) has traditionally been used to evaluate structure (e.g., congenital heart disease) and function (e.g., valve function). In this prospective trial, researchers evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of CMRI relative to nuclear stress testing for diagnosis of obstructive CAD among patients with suspected stable angina. More than 600 patients in the U.K. underwent adenosine stress CMRI, adenosine nuclear stress testing, and cardiac catheterization (which served as the gold standard). Patients with histories of coronary artery bypass graft surgery were excluded. Criteria for a positive CMRI include…