China develops new diagnostic method for coronary heart disease

Chinese scientists have developed a new diagnostic method for coronary heart disease which has a 33 percent higher accuracy rate compared with conventional methods.

Developed by Shanghai Jiaotong University, the new technology is called Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR) measurement system and has been approved by the China Food and Drug Administration.

A coronary angiography is the most conventional diagnostic method of coronary heart disease in China. However, the internationally recognized high-precision assessment technology is expensive and requires complex surgical procedures, which have not been popularized in China.

Based on the computational analysis of an X-ray coronary angiography image, the system obtains the QFR, which can help identify coronary heart disease. The new method does not require additional surgeries or drugs.

A clinical study led by Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences showed that the new method could assess coronary function within four minutes, and had a 33 percent higher accuracy rate compared with a coronary angiography.

"The new method will assist doctors in identifying coronary heart disease and assist in making treatment plans, such as whether the patient needs a heart stent implantation", said Chen Yazhu, an expert from Shanghai Jiaotong University.

According to statistics from the National Cardiovascular Center, there were 290 million cardiovascular patients in China in 2017, including 11 million patients with coronary heart disease.