Newer heart test may not be better

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An expensive CT scan that uses multiple X-rays to produce spectacular 3-D images of the heart can't replace tried-and-true coronary angiography for finding blocked blood vessels in chest-pain patients, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
CT scans produce images of the heart like this one, but they are not as effective as an angiogram, study says.
CT scans produce images of the heart like this one, but they are not as effective as an angiogram, study says.
But doctors are using the newer test -- sometimes because patients ask for it -- despite a lack of evidence that it's helpful, and a possibility that it might be harmful.