Sound Circulation

Angina is one of the most common heart conditions, affecting more than one in a hundred people. Usually limited to pain in the heart muscles, having angina can also be a sign that fibroatheromas are forming – irregularities in the walls of the vital arteries that feed the heart with oxygen. They can cause potentially life threatening blood clots and are notoriously hard to detect because they form inside the walls of the arteries, so outwardly arteries can appear clear and healthy. Ultrasound – the same technology used to see babies in the womb – can provide a view into the artery wall (left). By transforming this image into a computer generated 'virtual' artery, fibroatheromas can be pinpointed (right – shown in white). Scientists are now looking for the proteins responsible and may already have found one.

Written by Fred White-Flower

Fred White-Flower

Writer

Since completing his degree in microbiology and virology at Warwick University, Fred has studied law. Fred enjoys writing about biomedical innovation and follows legal developments surrounding our advancing understanding of biology.

• Kjetil Loland
• University of Bergen, Norway
• Originally published under a Creative Commons Attribution license
• PLoS ONE 8(7): e70101