Radiation-Related Cardiovascular Disease: Clinical and Epidemiological Studies

Speaker
Andrew Einstein

Description
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and in the United States. Numerous clinical and pathological studies have demonstrated tissue damage from high-dose ionizing radiation to various cardiac structures, including the coronary arteries, left ventricle, conduction system, valves, and pericardium. This has the potential to lead to a range of corresponding cardiovascular abnormalities, including coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy and heart failure, arrhythmias, aortic stenosis and regurgitation, and constrictive pericarditis, respectively. Understanding of this pathology at high doses has clinical implications today, impacting screening, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. However, the relationship between ionizing radiation and cardiovascular disease is not limited to high doses, and numerous epidemiological studies of therapeutically, diagnostically, occupationally, and environmentally exposed cohorts at a range of doses and dose rates inform our knowledge of radiation’s effects on the cardiovascular system. Some studies suggest a greater risk of cardiovascular disease per unit dose at lower doses and dose rates. In this talk, we will draw upon clinical and epidemiological studies to address cardiovascular diseases, their relationship to radiation exposure across the spectrum of doses, and potential clinical and policy implications.

Education Discount
Discounts are available for educational or classroom use. Contact Laura Atwell at [email protected]