Research centre hopes to save lives by developing new way to detect heart problems (From Harrow Times)

Department of Cardiac Research at Northwick Park Hospital to use ultrasound to assess heart conditions quicker

4:27pm Monday 18th March 2013 in News By Jaber Mohamed

Scientists at a research centre in Northwick Park are hoping to save lives by developing a quicker way to detect heart problems.

The Department of Cardiac Research based at Northwick Park Hospital wants to use ultrasound to assess the condition of the heart.

The current method involves doing blood tests and takes 24 hours for results to come back.

Researchers are confident their procedure, which would not put the patient at any risk, could yield results in just six hours and save the NHS the cost of keeping a patient in hospital overnight.

The centre has just started a new study which involves testing 500 patients and it hopes to get through all of them by the end of the summer.

Business manager Ann Banfield said:” We are very confident and if we are successful it will change the way the whole world asses heart conditions.

“Our test will be at least as good the current method but would let people know whether or not it’s safe to go home in a matter of hours.”