Solution for measuring cardiovascular system during exercise
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Western countries, responsible for 35% of all deaths of people over the age of 65, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial perfusion is balanced during rest, but shows impairments during exercise resulting in thoracic pain. This situation reflects the coronary artery stenoses permitting sufficient perfusion during rest, but limiting the increased blood flow demand during exercise. The evaluation of these conditions is currently performed by stress MRI of the myocardium. Due to a lack of suitable devices, drugs like Dobutamine and Adenosine are often used to stress the cardiovascular system. However, the administration of these drugs for stress CMR is likely to lead to complications and does not reflect the physiological reality of daily situations. The Ergospect Diagnostic Pedal Cardio enables a step exercise inside the MR bore which is comparable to physical activities. The device is compatible with all MRI scanners ranging from 1.5
