Researchers in Aberdeen are about to begin a major £141,000 study which could lead to improved diagnosis and more tailored treatment for heart attack patients.
Chest, Heart, Stroke Scotland and The British Heart Foundation are funding pioneering research which will use sophisticated scanning techniques to check whether cardiac muscle is alive or dead following a heart attack.
After a heart attack parts of the heart muscle may not contract normally, usually this means the muscle is dead. However, in some circumstances, the muscle is still alive but is not contracting. It is very difficult to differentiate between both states.
Now researchers at the University of Aberdeen are preparing to launch a two-year study using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and high-tech ultrasound scans to assess the state of the muscle.
Dr Graham Hillis, Senior Lecturer in Cardiology at the University of Aberdeen, said: "We hope it will increase our understanding of what happens to the heart muscle following a heart attack. If we can improve our ability to predict what will happen this will enable us to select the most appropriate treatment and, hopefully, maximise patient recovery."
The results of the scans could influence decisions on whether angioplasty - a balloon-stretch of a coronary artery - is required to clear any blockages and similar techniques might be used to guide surgeons performing heart bypass operations.
David Clark, Chief Executive of Chest, Heart Stroke Scotland, said: "We are delighted to support this important research which could help patients recover more quickly after a heart attack and significantly improve their quality of life."
The research is expected to begin in the next month or two and patients who have been admitted to hospital following a heart attack will be asked whether they would like to take part.
The British Heart Foundation has given £72,885 towards the study while Chest, Heart, Stroke Scotland have contributed £68,193.