Use of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET to identify the ‘inflammatory phenotype’ in cardiovascular disease: a clinical translational programme

Every three minutes, someone in the UK has a heart attack. While doctors are good at diagnosing these potentially life-threatening events once they have occurred, they are less able to predict who is at the most risk of future sudden events. We do know that high-levels of inflammation occur in dangerous cholesterol deposits in the arteries that trigger heart attacks and strokes. 

My PhD research identified a new way of detecting these hotspots of inflammation, by using a scan called DOTATATE PET. I will test whether DOTATATE PET can reveal people at high risk of heart attacks, whether it can be used to monitor the anti-inflammatory effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs, and if it can help to diagnose a rare but serious inflammatory disease called vasculitis. 

This research will help us to learn how to better prevent heart attacks.