Detection of Lipid Core Coronary Plaques in Autopsy Specimens With a Novel Catheter-Based Near-Infrared Spectroscopy System

Objectives: This study sought to assess agreement between an intravascular near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system and histology in coronary autopsy specimens.

Background: Lipid core plaques cannot be detected by conventional tests, yet are suspected to be the cause of most acute coronary syndromes. Near-infrared spectroscopy is widely used to determine the chemical content of substances. A NIRS system has been developed and used successfully in 99 patients.

Methods: Scanning NIRS was performed through blood in 212 coronary segments from 84 autopsy hearts. One histologic section was analyzed for every 2 mm of artery. Lipid core plaque of interest (LCP) was defined as a lipid core >60° in circumferential extent, >200-µm thick, with a mean fibrous cap thickness <450 µm. The first 33 hearts were used to develop the algorithm; the subsequent 51 validation hearts were used in a prospective, double-blind manner to evaluate the accuracy of NIRS in detecting LCP. A NIRS-derived lipid core burden index for an entire artery was also validated by comparison to histologic findings.

Results: The LCPs were present in 115 of 2,649 (4.3%) sections from the 51 validation hearts. The algorithm prospectively identified LCP with a receiver-operator characteristic area of 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76 to 0.85). The lipid core burden index detected the presence or absence of any fibroatheroma with an area under the curve of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.81 to 0.91). A retrospective analysis of lipid core burden index conducted in extreme artery segments with either no or extensive fibroatheroma yielded an area under the curve of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92 to 1.00), confirming the accuracy of spectroscopy in identifying plaques with markedly different lipid content under ideal circumstances.

Conclusions: This novel catheter-based NIRS system accurately identified lipid core plaques through blood in a prospective study in coronary autopsy specimens. It is expected that this novel capability will be of assistance in the management of patients with coronary artery disease.

For the full article featured in the Journal of American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging click here - Lipid Rich Plaque

Novel Information about Vulnerable Coronary Artery Plaque to be Presented at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 21, 2009 – San Francisco, CA.

The TCT 2009 meeting will feature an unusual amount of novel information about Vulnerable Coronary Artery Plaque, the structure widely considered to the primary cause of acute coronary events, the leading cause of death in the developed world.  The concept of Vulnerable Plaque has been a topic of study for over 2 decades.  TCT will showcase progress on a number of diagnostic catheters designed to identify the lipid core plaques that are widely suspected to be vulnerable.

• Monday, September 21 – Four presentations in the day-long Vulnerable Plaque Symposium describing the experience with LipiScan, a novel near-infrared spectroscopy catheter (InfraReDx, Inc.) approved in 2008 by the FDA for identification of lipid core plaques.  (Room 131)

• Thursday, September 24 - Dr. Gregg Stone will present the results of the 3 year follow-up of suspected vulnerable plaques in the Prospect Trial, a study of over 700 patients with multi-vessel ultrasound (Virtual Histology, Volcano, Inc.) measurements at baseline.  This major trial is the first, large, long-term study of the hypothesis that harmful vulnerable plaques can be identified before they cause a coronary event.  (Room 300)

In 1989, Dr. James Muller and colleagues introduced the term “Vulnerable Plaque” to describe a plaque at high risk of disruption that leads to coronary thrombosis.  Dr. Muller, CEO of InfraReDx, Inc. participated in the company’s founding in 1998 for the purpose of developing a spectroscopic catheter to detect vulnerable plaque.  Dr. Muller will be available at TCT to comment on the important developments related to vulnerable plaque reported at the meeting, including commentary on the outcome of the Prospect Trial.  Dr. Muller and his colleague, Jim Dillon, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at InfraReDx, Inc. will be available for comment on the use of the LipiScan system, the only FDA cleared product to detect lipid core plaque and the InfraReDx experience in over 400 patients.  The commercially available LipiScan™ Coronary Imaging System will be displayed in the “Emerging Technologies” section at booth # 2410.

·        References

• Muller JE, Tofler GH, Stone PH.  Circadian variation and triggers of onset of acute cardiovascular disease.  Clinical Progress Series.  Circulation 1989; 79:733-743.
• Muller JE, Abela GS, Nesto RW, Tofler GH.  Triggers, acute risk factors, and vulnerable plaques: The lexicon of a new frontier.  J Am Coll Cardiol 1994;23:809-813.

About InfraReDx, Inc.
InfraReDx, Inc., headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, was founded in 1998 and is a privately-funded medical device company developing a fiber-optic, catheter-based, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy system to identify and characterize vulnerable plaque in the coronary arteries. For more information, visit www.infraredx.com.

About TCT 2009
Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) is organized by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, which is dedicated to research and education in the broad subspecialty of interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine.  TCT is scheduled from Monday, September 21st to Friday, September 25th, in San Francisco, CA. at the Moscone Center. This scientific meeting is one of the world’s largest events for those performing cardiac diagnostics and interventions.  This meeting is the primary annual meeting for the world-wide interventional cardiology community. For more information, visit www.tctconference.com

Company Contacts:

Dr. Muller Contact:                       Investor Contact:                           Media Contact:
Carolyn Rogers                                 Jeff Mazur                                            Jim Dillon
InfraReDx, Inc.                                 InfraReDx, Inc.                                 InfraReDx, Inc.
(781) 345-9644                                (781) 345-9626                                (781) 345-9679
crogers@infraredx.com                jmazur@infraredx.com                 jdillon@infraredx.com

Different symptoms occur to different body parts. And women have signs unlike men. Here are some signs to look for to identify a heart attack.

Head: Lightheaded

Arms, Back, Jaws, Neck, Between Shoulders: pain pressure, fullness, squeezing in the chest

Skin: cold sweat

Lungs: trouble breathing and shortness of breath

Stomach: upset and urge to throw up

Women also get tired days or weeks before the occurrence of a heart attack. They may also feel heartburn, cough or chest flutters. Loss of appetite is also a major sign.

InfraReDx to showcase the LipiScan™ Coronary Imaging System at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s (CRF) annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific meeting

Results of Initial Clinical Experience with a Novel Spectroscopy Catheter that can Identify Lipid-Core Coronary Plaques to be presented at TCT 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 11th  2009 –Burlington, MA

InfraReDx today announced its preliminary schedule of events at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s (CRF) annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific meeting, scheduled from Monday, September 21st to Friday, September 25th, in San Francisco, CA. at the Moscone Center. This scientific meeting is one of the world’s largest events for those performing cardiac diagnostics and interventions.

The LipiScan™ Coronary Imaging System will be displayed in the “Emerging Technologies” section at booth # 2410.   Schedule of InfraReDx Events at TCT 2009 are as follows:

Monday, September 21st

On behalf of Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Dr. James Muller, founder and CEO of InfraReDx, has been invited to participate as a guest speaker titled:

“Vulnerable Plaque: Emerging Directions for Diagnosis and Treatment: Near Infrared Spectroscopy I: Technology and validation.”

• 2:40 pm in room # 130 at the Moscone Center.

Friday, September 25th

InfraReDx sponsored Breakfast Symposium:

“Beyond Angiography:  NIR Spectroscopy and Other Methods for Plaque Characterization.”

• 6:30 am Breakfast, 7:00 am Symposium in room #120 at the Moscone Center. Presenters include: Dr. Cindy Grines (Beaumont Hospital), Dr. Gregg W. Stone (Presbyterian/Columbia), Dr. Emmanouil Brilakis (Dallas VA), Dr. Brijeshwar Maini (Moffitt Heart and Vascular), Dr. Patrick Serruys (Erasmus Medical Center), and Dr. James E. Muller (InfraReDx).

About InfraReDx, Inc.
InfraReDx, Inc., headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, was founded in 1998 and is a privately-funded medical device company developing a fiber-optic, catheter-based, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy system to identify and characterize vulnerable plaque in the coronary arteries. For more information, visit www.infraredx.com.

About TCT 2009
TCT is organized by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, which is dedicated to research and education in the broad subspecialty of interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine. The TCT meeting is the primary annual meeting for the world-wide interventional cardiology community. For more information, visit www.tctconference.com

Company Contacts:

Dr. Muller Contact:                         Investor Contact:                             Media Contact:
Carolyn Rogers                                 Jeff Mazur                                            Jim Dillon
InfraReDx, Inc.                                 InfraReDx, Inc.                                 InfraReDx, Inc.
(781) 345-9644                                (781) 345-9626                                (781) 345-9679
crogers@infraredx.com                jmazur@infraredx.com                jdillon@infraredx.com

Eat A Fraction Of The Serving
Americans are known all over the world to have enormous portions at meal time. Whether you are in a restaurant or having dinner at home, the amount of food on your plate contributes greatly to the risk your body faces for vulnerable plaque and heart attack sings. It is best to look at your hand when measuring your portions. For example, take the size of your fist, this should be the size of your fruit portion. Vegetables or complex carbohydrates should fit cupped in your hand. Meats and proteins should be the flat of your palm.

Fruits And Vegetables
Your number one food group should be fruits and vegetables. These foods have antioxidants and help lower bad cholesterol. Eating more of them helps provide benefits that may prevents heart attack causes. Fruits and vegetables also as a whole contain less fat than other foods and some people believe them to be easier for your body to digest.

Fish Two Times
Fish is the best heart healthy item of protein in your diet. You should have 2 servings a week. It is low in saturated fat and has high levels of triglycerides. It may also lower your cholesterol and prevent **heart attack causes. Salmon, tuna, trout, sardines and mackerel are all high in omega-3 fatty acids. These servings should be broiled, baked, sauteed or grilled, never ever fry!

Whole Grain Goodness
Fiber and complex carbs in whole grain can help you feel full and help your body process foods. You become less tempted to overeat if you have a full feeling and these carbs can also help with the prevention of heart attack signs.

Nutty!
Snacks like nuts such as almonds are great for your body. They contain antioxidants and omega-3s. Make sure to choose the right nuts though. Some are high in fats and that is not a snack you want to eat when trying to prevent heart attack signs.

Good Fats
Make sure the only fats in your diet are unsaturated fats. You should also only have about 25 to 35 % of your calories come from unsaturated fats. Fats such as olive oil, safflower oil, and canola oil are all beneficial, but in moderation of course.

Choose Wisely  When Eating Out
If you are eating out and order the fries instead of the salad, look out! The fries contain saturated fats, calories and loads of sodium. However, sides such as fries, onion rings and pastas can all have hidden calories, but it is the healthy choices you need to be careful with as well. Make sure you order your salad with dressing on the side and be careful of large portions. Have the server only put a portion on the plate so you aren’t tempted to eat what is in front of you. Other tips when ordering can be to choose the grilled, steamed, baked or broiled options - nothing fried! See if you can have sauces served on the side so you can serve yourself the minimum amount when you food comes. See if you can have half of your meal boxed and bring it home with you.

What To Look For When Eating Out
Make sure you read the labels! Look at the serving size, the cholesterol and fat content. Be careful to see if the serving size is for two or four. You don’t want to double up on the serving size because you didn’t read the box. If the box reads whole grain, make sure the first ingredients are whole grain or whole wheat. Even though the label may have no cholesterol, it may contain saturated fat and that is just as terrible. It’s a real battle finding foods that meat the criteria, but once you start supplementing processed foods with more fruits and vegetables, you wont miss the bad ingredients.

Lose Weight, Feel Great
When you lose weight, you are one step ahead of beating heart attack signs. Belly fat especially is linked to cardiovascular disease. It is connected to the hardening of the arteries. Make sure to exercise  and eat right to avoid belly fat.

Beans Aren’t Just For Chili
Because it is necessary for your body to have carbohydrates, you should carefully chose your source. Beans and whole grains such as quinoa, whole-wheat pasta and brown rice and beans are great for energy and give your body the fiber it needs. White carbs can cause blood sugar to rise and put you at risk for type 2 diabetes. Replacing bad carbs with good carbs can lessen heart attack causes.

Keep It Moving
Thirty minutes or more of physical activity at least five days a week or 20 minutes of vigorous  three times a week is necessary to maintain a healthy heart. Physical exercise helps to maintain your ideal weight and lessens your chance of cholesterol build up and vulnerable plaque. You don’t necessarily have to workout consistently for the 20 or 30 minutes, you can do increments of 10 minutes 2 to 3 times a day.

Walking
Walking can be a fabulous way to get around. If you are not in a city, plan paths in your neighborhood. Make sure to have a good pair of walking shoes. Walking builds muscle and keeps bones strong. It lowers your risk of heart attack causes.

High cholesterol is one of the most notable developments in heart attack causes. As cholesterol rises, your chance for a heart attack does as well. Other risk factors play key roles, and the more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of a heart attack.

There are two types of cholesterol; HDL and LDL. LDL stands for Low-Density-Lipoprotine and is known typically as the ‘bad’ cholesterol. HDL is High-Density-Lipoprotine and is known as the ‘good’ or ‘healthy’ cholesterol. When there is too much LDL, the blood has a heard time circulating and can build up on the interior walls of the arteries that feed your heart and brain. This build up can cause a heart attack or stroke.

You can lessen your heart attack signs by cutting out certain things from your every day life. Your liver produces the right amount of cholesterol for your body. However, you can have up to 500 mg more from food but you should never try to have cholesterol in your diet. Keeping it out and doing things to avoid high cholesterol are the goal. Here are some steps to take in order to avoid heart attack symptoms.

1) NO SMOKING! If you smoke stop and if you haven’t stopped yet, realize it is poison you are putting into your body.

2) Eliminate SATURATED FAT! No more TRANS fats either. And avoid foods with cholesterol at all costs. These foods are just not worth it.

3) Start EXCERSIZING! This is key…make sure to get at least 30 min of activity a day 5 days a week. It is the best way to fight off many health problems.