Teaching the world how to heal hearts

Calgary protocol for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance adopted worldwide

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Posted March 12, 2010

By Jordanna Heller / Photos by Janelle Pan

Dr. Matthias Friedrich at the Stephensen CMR CentreA University of Calgary doctor has developed international guidelines for the use of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR). CMR is used to diagnose a commonly occurring inflammation of the heart known as myocarditis, a condition that in some cases can lead to heart failure and sudden death.

The new guidelines will benefit millions of people because CMR simplifies making a diagnosis says Dr. Matthias Friedrich. “What we are doing here in Calgary has been shown by research to be the best protocol and the consensus group has now agreed to recommend its use worldwide.”

It took 17 authors two and a half years to put the protocols together. Although research in Calgary has shown the value of the guidelines, the protocols will be new for other centres across Canada, as well as around the world. The new guidelines are published in the April 28th edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a high impact and prestigious medical journal.

“It will make it safer for the patient because an invasive procedure can be avoided and it will speed up the diagnosis process. Before CMR came along, making a diagnosis was only possible by performing a biopsy,” says Dr. Friedrich, an Associate Professor in the Departments of Cardiac Sciences, Medicine, and Radiology at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine, and director of the Stephenson Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Centre at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.

Nurses work on a patient before he enters the CMR machineBlair Cashin was surprised to be experiencing chest pain because he is only 29-years-old, and there is no history of heart disease in his family. But when he went to the hospital and was diagnosed with myocarditis he was thankful doctors used CMR.
“If I wouldn’t have had a CMR I wouldn’t have known what was wrong,” says Cashin. “I am lucky I was here in Calgary where they could detect it early, and I’ll have the ability to recover from this.”

“These guidelines will be instrumental in the advancement of patient care for individuals with myocarditis throughout Alberta and indeed the world,” adds Dr. Stephen Duckett, president and chief executive officer of Alberta Health Services. “High-calibre clinical expertise remains one of our province’s most valued resources, as demonstrated by Dr. Friedrich and everyone involved in the development of this important, made-in-Alberta protocol. Albertans can be proud of our significant contributions to health care in Canada and on the world stage.”

Opening its doors in March 2005, the Stephenson Cardiovascular MR Centre was the first CMR centre in Canada, and continues to be the leading cardiovascular magnetic resonance facility in the country. It is currently one of the top five centres globally as measured by the number of patient studies. Research from the Stephenson Cardiovascular MR Centre complements other strengths of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta. According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, Calgary has the highest heart attack survival rates in the nation.