SO. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 21, 1998-- Imatron Inc.
(Nasdaq:IMAT - news) announced that a record audience of more than 200
practicing cardiologists, physicians and scientists attended the 12th annual
symposium in San Francisco on October 16-18, 1998. A distinguished faculty
presented the latest in techniques and advancements in the practice of Electron
Beam Computed Tomography (EBCT) technology in both clinical and research
applications. The featured session was devoted to the use of Imatron's EBCT
measurement of coronary artery calcification in monitoring changes in the
course of coronary atherosclerosis.
The three-day international scientific symposium, which was jointly sponsored by
the University of Iowa and the George Washington University Medical Center,
featured renowned speakers from Europe, Asia and the U.S. Experts in the field
of cardiology and EBCT reported on the latest clinical and research applications
of Imatron's electron beam technology, primarily in the area of cardiac imaging.
Presentations highlighting EBT's unique ability to assess the progression of
sub-clinical heart disease were made by seven groups, including the Cooper
Clinic in Dallas, the University of Essen in Germany and the EBT research group
in Nashville.
Each reported study used Imatron's EBCT to measure progression and
regression of coronary artery calcium deposits. In some instances, the course of
heart disease ranged from stabilization to regression, dependent upon the
nature and duration of drug treatment or other intervention. These preliminary
results were reported by Dr. Greg Brown in a double-blinded,
placebo-controlled study at the University of Washington utilizing a combination
of Simvastatin, Niacin and Antioxidants compared to a similar group receiving a
placebo (non-treatment). The finding that treatment using a statin drug reduces
progression of atherosclerosis was confirmed in an independent study from
Harbor-UCLA medical center in Los Angeles.
Commenting on the newly presented study findings, S. Lewis Meyer, President
and CEO of Imatron said, ''It is critically important to note that not only is
Imatron's coronary artery scan by EBT now being widely adopted to diagnose
early stage coronary artery disease, but it is also being used to monitor the
effectiveness of treatment in individual patients. The unique accuracy and
precision of EBT is now demonstrating the same validated sensitivity to
measured changes in the amount of coronary artery plaque as is exhibited in
the initial coronary artery disease risk assessment. Medical professionals
worldwide are accumulating a mass of evidence that supports the clinical
adoption of EBT to diagnose, measure and monitor the atherosclerotic process.
Major medical facilities around the world are rapidly adopting EBT as the
platform for programs directed at the detection and treatment of heart disease.''
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