About Us
The mission of the Cardiac Imaging Research Team (CIRT) is to develop nuclear cardiology, cardiac CT and cardiac MRI methods that will help reduce death and disability from cardiovascular diseases. Through research and development of noninvasive imaging techniques, CIRT's goal is early detection and prevention and ultimately, eradication of heart attacks.
CIRT is a nonprofit, self-funded research organization housed in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Research programs unique to CIRT include:
Nuclear Cardiology Outcomes Database
For more than 15 years, CIRT has been collecting what is now the world's largest database of information from patients who have undergone nuclear cardiology studies. Using this database, CIRT has performed analyses that have shaped the way physicians around the world use nuclear cardiology testing to guide patient management including:
- Properly selecting patients for angioplasty or bypass surgery
- Reducing unnecessary invasive procedures
Eisner Heart Watch Program
Supported by a generous grant from The Eisner Foundation, this program investigates the usefulness of coronary calcium screening for early detection and management of atherosclerosis. Through research programs like these, CIRT has contributed to significant changes in the clinical applications of noninvasive cardiac imaging resulting in:
- More accurate methods for determining risk for developing coronary artery disease by using noninvasive test results in combination with traditional risk factors
- Early identification of disease allowing patients to address problems before they strike
- Justification for third-party reimbursement of scan costs
