Cardiovascular diseases constitute the main cause of death in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with ischemic heart disease (IHD) as the principal cause in most countries. This is particularly complex in women due to the peculiarities of the clinical picture and their specific risk factors. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supports regional projects with the aim of spreading the adequate use of medical imaging modalities and contributing to capacity building. To contribute to achieve an early diagnosis and an adequate risk stratification of IHD in Latin American women. IAEA supported a regional project (2022-2023, 15 countries) in LAC. Regional courses were implemented and diagnostic units using imaging multimodality were established. Human resources capacities strengthened on the use of nuclear techniques, imaging multimodality, and their benefits in the management of IHD in LAC women. Three regional courses were implemented, with 144 professionals trained on. In addition, two courses (on multimodality and cardiac PET) will be presented in the IAEA Human Health Campus for free access, as well as 5 expert missions to help developing cardiac medical imaging. Multimodality imaging techniques available in Cardiology (with emphasis on Nuclear Cardiology and hybrid imaging) applied in the management of IHD in LAC women. At the end of the project, two centres of diagnosis of IHD in women with the utilization of nuclear techniques in a multimodality imaging approach were established in each country. In addition, the regional network for dissemination of results, exchange of experiences, discussion of clinical cases, and virtual short courses on multimodality was implemented and is running. Three publications on the epidemiological situation, technical and human resources available in LAC, and a consensus document adapted to the region on the utilization of multimodality in the management of IHD in women were completed. The support of international organizations as IAEA contributes to the capacity building and a better management of cardiovascular disease in LAC.

Complications from diabetes mellitus (DM) include cardiovascular system, peripheral neuropathy (PN), and autonomic dysfunction (AD). Goal: Assess the association of silent myocardial ischemia, AD, and PN in cardiovascular asymptomatic type 2 diabetics. As part of a multicenter project, 40 patients with type 2 DM were studied, with > 5 years of known disease and a baseline electrocardiogram non suggestive of coronary artery disease. Myocardial SPECT was performed with exercise stress test measuring corrected QT interval (QTc) and heart rate recovery (HRR) post-exercise (abnormal QTc ≥ 450 ms at rest and HRR < 14 beats at the first minute in maximum exercise). After 3 years, it was possible to re-study 32 cases. PN was evaluated with Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine associated factors for AD, PN, SI, and survival analysis. Thirty-four percent of the group had ischemia in SPECT; QTc was prolonged in 23.3%; 31% fulfilled criteria of PN; and 25% of AD due to HRR alteration. With bivariate and multivariate analyses, associations were observed between lipid, glycemic parameters, ischemia, PN, and AD. The follow-up (mean 119 months) consigned 4 cardiac-related deaths; ischemia, glycemic control parameters, and microalbuminuria had significant value in bivariate analysis. In our small sample of asymptomatic cardiovascular type 2 DM patients, myocardial ischemia, glycemic control, and microalbuminuria have influence on survival, requiring a more intensive global therapeutic approach.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region as well as worldwide. Lifestyle, nutritional habits and the upsurge of obesity have contributed to the increase in the prevalence of CVDs in the region. The role of nuclear cardiology in the management of patients with CVDs is well established. Particularly, myocardial perfusion imaging is widely used in LAC countries and has been increasingly integrated into the healthcare systems in the region for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, risk stratification and to guide patient management. In its role to support countries around the world to address their health needs through the peaceful applications of nuclear techniques, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has provided assistance to the LAC region for the establishment and strengthening of the nuclear cardiology practice. To that extent, the IAEA provides support in building capacities of multidisciplinary teams of professionals, the provision of medical equipment and the promotion of communication and exchange of knowledge among the different stakeholders. In addition, the IAEA encourages the participation of nuclear medicine centers in international multi-center research studies. In this paper, we present some of the projects through which the IAEA has supported the LAC region, including regional technical cooperation projects and coordinated research projects related to cardiology within the current multimodality approach to cardiac imaging.

Across Latin American and Caribbean countries, cardiovascular disease and especially ischemic heart disease is currently the main cause of death both in men and in women. For most Latin American and Caribbean countries, public and community health efforts aim to define care strategies which are both clinically and cost effective and promote primary and secondary prevention, resulting in improved patient outcomes. The optimal approach to deal with acute events such as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a matter of controversy; however, there is an expanding role for assessing residual ischemic burden in STEMI patients following primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Although randomized clinical trials have established the value of staged fractional flow reserve-guided revascularization, the use of noninvasive functional imaging modalities may play a similar role at a much lower cost. For LAC, available stress imaging techniques could be applied to define residual ischemia in the non-infarct related artery and to target revascularization in a staged procedure after primary percutaneous coronary intervention The use of nuclear cardiac imaging, supported by its relatively wide availability, moderate cost, and robust quantitative capabilities, may serve to guide effective care and to reduce subsequent cardiac events in patients with coronary artery disease. This noninvasive approach may avert potential safety issues with repeat and lengthy invasive procedures, and serve as a baseline for subsequent follow-up stress testing following the index STEMI event. This consensus document was devised from an expert panel meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, highlighting available evidence with a focus on the utility of stress myocardial perfusion imaging in post-STEMI patients. The document could serve as guidance to the prudent and appropriate use of nuclear imaging for targeting therapeutic management and avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures within Latin American and Caribbean countries, where resources could be scarce. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.

En los países iberoamericanos y caribeños las cardiopatías, y en especial las cardiopatías isquémicas, constituyen la causa principal de muerte tanto en varones como en mujeres. En muchos de estos países los esfuerzos sobre salud pública y comunitaria tratan de definir las estrategias de cuidados que sean efectivas desde los puntos de vista clínico y de costes, promuevan la prevención primaria y secundaria, y redunden en la mejora de los resultados de los pacientes. El enfoque óptimo para el tratamiento de episodios agudos tales como el infarto de miocardio con elevación del segmento ST (IAMCEST) es una cuestión controvertida; sin embargo, el papel de la valoración de la carga isquémica residual en los pacientes de IAMCEST tras una intervención coronaria percutánea primaria se encuentra en expansión. Aunque los ensayos clínicos aleatorizados han establecido el valor de la revascularización guiada por la reserva de flujo fraccional escalonada, el uso de técnicas de imagen funcionales no invasivas puede jugar un papel similar a mucho menor coste. Para los pacientes iberoamericanos y caribeños, podrían aplicarse las técnicas disponibles de imágenes de estrés para definir la isquemia residual en la arteria no infartada y orientar la revascularización en un procedimiento escalonado tras una intervención coronaria percutánea primaria. El uso de imagen cardíaca nuclear, respaldado por su disponibilidad relativamente amplia, coste moderado y capacidades cuantitativas sólidas, puede servir de guía a una atención efectiva y reducir los episodios cardíacos subsiguientes en pacientes con cardiopatía coronaria. Esta técnica no invasiva puede evitar las cuestiones de seguridad potenciales de los procedimientos invasivos prolongados y repetidos, y servir de referencia para las pruebas subsiguientes de estrés tras el episodio de IAMCEST inicial. Este documento de consenso fue diseñado por la reunión del panel de expertos de la International Atomic Energy Agency y destaca la evidencia disponible centrada en la utilidad de la imagen de perfusión miocárdica de estrés en pacientes post-IAMCEST. El documento podría servir como guía para el uso prudente y adecuado de la imagen nuclear orientada a la gestión terapéutica, a fin de evitar los procedimientos invasivos innecesarios en los países iberoamericanos y caribeños, en los que los recursos podrían ser escasos.

OBJECTIVE:While nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) offers many benefits to patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease, concerns exist regarding radiation-associated health effects. Little is known regarding MPI practice in Africa. We sought to characterise radiation doses and the use of MPI best practices that could minimise radiation in African nuclear cardiology laboratories, and compare these to practice worldwide.METHODS:Demographics and clinical characteristics were collected for a consecutive sample of 348 patients from 12 laboratories in six African countries over a one-week period from March to April 2013. Radiation effective dose (ED) was estimated for each patient. A quality index (QI) enumerating adherence to eight best practices, identified a priori by an IAEA expert panel, was calculated for each laboratory. We compared these metrics with those from 7 563 patients from 296 laboratories outside Africa.RESULTS:Median (interquartile range) patient ED in Africa was similar to that of the rest of the world [9.1 (5.1-15.6) vs 10.3 mSv (6.8-12.6), p = 0.14], although a larger proportion of African patients received a low ED, ≤ 9 mSv targeted in societal recommendations (49.7 vs 38.2%, p < 0.001). Bestpractice adherence was higher among African laboratories (QI score: 6.3 ± 1.2 vs 5.4 ± 1.3, p = 0.013). However, median ED varied significantly among African laboratories (range: 2.0-16.3 mSv; p < 0.0001) and QI range was 4-8.CONCLUSION:Patient radiation dose from MPI in Africa was similar to that in the rest of the world, and adherence to best practices was relatively high in African laboratories. Nevertheless there remain opportunities to further reduce radiation exposure to African patients from MPI.

Mathew Mercuri, PhD; Thomas N. B. Pascual, MD; John J. Mahmarian, MD; Leslee J. Shaw, PhD; Maurizio Dondi, MD; Diana Paez, MD; Andrew J. Einstein, MD, PhD; for the INCAPS Investigators Group

This study estimates current rates of stress-only imaging in cardiology patients in the United States and worldwide, as well as the potential effect of changes in this rate on the radiation burden to the US population.

Aims To characterize patient radiation doses from nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and the use of radiation-optimizing ‘best practices’ worldwide, and to evaluate the relationship between laboratory use of best practices and patient radiation dose. Methods and results We conducted an observational cross-sectional study of protocols used for all 7911 MPI studies performed in 308 nuclear cardiology laboratories in 65 countries for a single week in March–April 2013. Eight ‘best practices’ relating to radiation exposure were identified a priori by an expert committee, and a radiation-related quality index (QI) devised indicating the number of best practices used by a laboratory. Patient radiation effective dose (ED) ranged between 0.8 and 35.6 mSv (median 10.0 mSv). Average laboratory ED ranged from 2.2 to 24.4 mSv (median 10.4 mSv); only 91 (30%) laboratories achieved the median ED ≤ 9 mSv recommended by guidelines. Laboratory QIs ranged from 2 to 8 (median 5). Both ED and QI differed significantly between laboratories, countries, and world regions. The lowest median ED (8.0 mSv), in Europe, coincided with high best-practice adherence (mean laboratory QI 6.2). The highest doses (median 12.1 mSv) and low QI (4.9) occurred in Latin America. In hierarchical regression modelling, patients undergoing MPI at laboratories following more ‘best practices’ had lower EDs. Conclusion Marked worldwide variation exists in radiation safety practices pertaining to MPI, with targeted EDs currently achieved in a minority of laboratories. The significant relationship between best-practice implementation and lower doses indicates numerous opportunities to reduce radiation exposure from MPI globally.