title: The effect of eating on thallium myocardial imaging.
abstract: To determine if eating between initial and delayed thallium images alters the appearance of the delayed thallium scan, a prospective study was performed; 184 subjects sent for routine thallium imaging were randomized into two groups, those who ate a meal high in carbohydrates between initial and delayed thallium myocardial images (n = 106), and those who fasted (n = 78). The 201Tl images were interpreted in blinded fashion for global myocardial and pulmonary clearance of 201Tl myocardial defects. The eating group had a significantly lower incidence of transient myocardial defects compared to the noneating group (7 percent vs 18 percent, respectively; p less than 0.05). The time between initial and delayed images and the incidence of exercise-induced ischemic ST-segment depression or pathologic Q waves on the electrocardiogram were not significantly different between the two groups. These data suggest that eating a high-carbohydrate meal between initial and delayed 201Tl images causes increased 201Tl myocardial clearance rates and may alter 201Tl myocardial redistribution over time.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D011897:Random Allocation; D013793:Thallium
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D013793:Thallium