thesis
Assessment of diagnostic imaging technologies for cardiovascular disease
- Publication date
- 24 November 2004
- Publisher
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in industrialized countries. In the
Netherlands approximately 50,000 patients die each year from cardiovascular disease, which is
35% of all deaths 1. In the United States, this number is over 930,000 patients per year 2.
Cardiovascular disease includes all diseases of the heart or blood vessels. This thesis
concentrates on arterial stenosis in the cardiovascular system, specifically in the coronary
arteries, the carotid arteries, the peripheral arteries, and the renal arteries. Arterial stenosis in
these areas may lead to severe morbidity due to, for example, myocardial infarction, stroke, limb
amputation, or renal dysfunction, and thus has an enormous impact on the quality of life of the
patient and may lead to death3-6. Therefore, it is important to diagnose cardiovascular disease
accurately, so that adequate treatment can be initiated.