Investigators: Valentín Fuster, Luis Jesús Jiménez Borreguero, Zahi Fayad, Borja Ibañez, Juan Carlos Murciano, Jesús Mateo.

The studies on advanced imaging in humans were developed at Hospital Carlos III based on a collaboration agreement signed between the CNIC and the Health Advisory Board of the Autonomous Community of Madrid (CAM), which creates a Human Cardiovascular Imaging Scientific Research Laboratory in the hospital.

This human lines of imaging research will be developed in cooperation with "Phillips Healthcare" (Andover, Minnesota) and (Aachen, Germany), divisions of "Phillips Electronics North America Corporation".

The priority lines of research in this laboratory will be:

1. Detection of population with cardiovascular risk

The protocols that will be followed for these studies are inspired by and connected with the “High Risk Plaque Initiative", addressed in middle age population, adding the detection of unrecognized myocardial infarction and substituting PET/CT technology with PET/MR, a hybrid system being developed through the HYPERImage Project being financed by the European Union.

These studies will provide innovative results that will allow for the detection of previous subclinical events and may constitute a new prognostic marker for a population subgroup at higher risk of having severe clinical events or lower survival rates. For more information, see the section IMAGING DEPARTMENT PROJECTS.

2. Cardiovascular complications associated with HIV infection

A cross-sectional study will be performed for the detection quantification and tissue characterization of subclinical atherosclerosis and subclinical coronary artery disease in patients who are infected with HIV, with or without antiretroviral treatment, in order to determine the differences between different treatments as well as the relationship to classic cardiovascular risk factors. In addition, a longitudinal study will be performed on these same patients, with or without treatment, for early detection and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. For more information, see the section IMAGING DEPARTMENT PROJECTS.

3. Heart failure studies

Heart failure is becoming more frequent in the elderly population and, due to the increase in the population’s longevity, it will predictably be one of the pathologies with a higher rate of morbidity and mortality in future generations.

The final extent of myocardial infarction is a chief determinant of post-infarction heart failure. Indeed, final infarct size has been recently revealed as a major predictor of clinical events. Hence, novel interventions able to limit infarct size (cardioprotection) are the matter of intense research effort. The developing of a multicenter clinical trial explores the effect of early ß-blockade (before coronary reperfusion) in acute myocardial infarction. Novel imaging techniques based in contrast enhanced MRI are able to quantify infarct size and post-infarction left ventricular remodelling. This data will be of great clinical value as they may assess the accurate visualization and quantification of cardioprotection. Both MRI and clinical end points will allow a new stratification of patients at high risk for heart failure and future clinical events. For more information, see the section IMAGING DEPARTMENT PROJECTS.

The Human Cardiovascular Imaging Scientific Research Laboratory equipment, located in Hospital Carlos III, consists of:

• PET/MRI 3 Tesla
• Multidetector CT
• Echocardiography equipment
• Exercise and stress tests