It has been found that results from the keenly anticipated PROMISE clinical trial presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Scientific Sessions in San Diego confirmed that coronary computed tomographic angiography (coronary CTA) is capable of accurately diagnosing patients having low to moderate chest pain.

Coronary CTA is an imaging method that uses a computed tomography (CT) scanner to non-invasively and painlessly examine the structure and blood vessels of the heart.

According to cardiologists and radiologists, in most of the cases, coronary CTA is at least as effective as diagnostic methods such as stress test or SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging.

SCCT President Ricardo C. Cury, MD, FSCCT (Miami), said that findings of the study demonstrated that coronary CTA plays a vital role in helping physician to determine and plan the best course of action that could be used for treating millions of persons annually with low or moderate chest pain.

Dr. Cury also noted that findings from PROMISE showed that coronary CTA is a workable alternative to functional stress testing to assess symptomatic, intermediate risk patients.

It has been told that an initial strategy with CTA was associated with a significant lower rate of invasive catheterization without obstructive CAD (28%), whereas functional strategy with stress test demonstrated 52% of invasive catheterization without obstructive CAD.

As per experts, the study should significantly impact daily clinical practice as it has the potential to dramatically reduce the number of unnecessary invasive angiograms, stress tests and other resource-intensive procedures.

President-Elect Jonathon A. Leipsic, MD, FSCCT, said the impact of this study might go even beyond initial evolution of the presenting patient. It will help physicians to a greater extent in recommending the most appropriate long-term care for their patients.

“PROMISE affirms our experience in clinical practice, notably the apparent benefit of medical therapy on those uniquely identified by coronary CTA to have non-obstructive atherosclerosis”, he added.