Assessment of Myocardial Viability: A Review of Current Non Invasive Imaging Techniques

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most prevalent and single most common cause of morbidity and mortality1 with the resulting left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) an important complication2. Worldwide, CAD accounts for 5.7 million new cases per year, of these 1.3 million in Europe alone3. In addition, it imposes a substantial share of health service resources and expenses, an impaired quality of life, disability and high social cost3,4. Furthermore, LVD itself has been shown to be a powerful determinant of survival2, 5.