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Imaging outcomes in cardiovascular clinical trials

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 6, pages 524–531 (2009)Cite this article

A Correction to this article was published on 01 November 2009

This article has been updated

Abstract

Imaging has had an important role in cardiovascular disease over the past decade, with the increasing reliance on imaging outcomes as surrogates for clinical end points. Clinical trials now show a trend towards the use of functional, rather than anatomical, imaging modalities. Use of these powerful tools needs to be optimized in the design of cardiovascular trials. In the future, imaging modalities will be fundamental to research and drug development and an increased emphasis will be placed on the relationship between the results of imaging studies and clinical outcomes.

Key Points

  • A wide spectrum of imaging techniques can be used in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease; these modalities may be invasive or noninvasive, and have anatomical or functional targets

  • The role of imaging in cardiovascular clinical trials has grown tremendously

  • Imaging studies have shed light on mechanistic processes and their use is prominent in the early phases of drug development and safety assessment

  • Imaging findings are viable surrogate markers for cardiovascular end points and, in future clinical trials, increased use of imaging modalities could decrease financial costs

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Figure 1: Complex carotid plaque shown by bilateral FDG-PET uptake, with more uptake in right common carotid than in the left carotid.
Figure 2: Right common carotid artery lesion shown by FDG-PET with CT co-localization.

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  1. Mount Sinai Cardiovascular Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Louai Razzouk & Michael E. Farkouh

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Correspondence to Michael E. Farkouh.

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Razzouk, L., Farkouh, M. Imaging outcomes in cardiovascular clinical trials. Nat Rev Cardiol 6, 524–531 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2009.104

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